Snapshots Make the Story
by Bittersweet Romanticide
Summary: One hundred connecting drabbles write the story of Misty Williams and her junior year in Goldenrod's preparatory school for coordinators, trainers and leaders. Oh, and the fabulous subplot of whether or not May can ever manage to ask Drew out to a dance.
1. Chapter 1

So, this is a fun little project I wanted to try. In exactly one hundred drabbles, I'm going to attempt to tell a story. A sensible story. It's all in chronological order too. I thought it'd be easier for everyone if I grouped them by ten. I don't have to spend a load of extra time uploading chapters, those who alert me don't have their email's flooded, you guys don't have to click through every chapter (if you're enjoying it enough to read it all).

It's a little weird, I know, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while. Check it out, tell me if it's interesting and it makes sense, and I'll continue with editing and posting. I have it all written, I'm just going through it for sense and flow and typos. :)

Hope it works!

* * *

"You're awfully calm," May said lightly, leaning against the locker next to Misty's. The third period bell had blared just a moment before, leaving them surrounded by a flock of students from all over the pokémon world. There were gym leaders, coordinators, trainers, referees, breeders, and any other occupation one could imagine – as long as the pocket monsters were involved. That much was expected, from one of the top three pokémon academies to ever exist.

The redhead scowled. "I'm not always angry, and it's not like it's the end of the world, even if you deserved more than a B+ because you worked so damned hard-"

"Not about the science paper," she said, cutting her off, "about the public school transfer kid."

She shrugged, burrowing around through the locker for the purple binder at the bottom. "So he'll screw the curve a bit with his bad grades. It's only going to help me on my side of the bell."

"But he's being brought in because he's the best battler they've seen in ages!"

She rolled her eyes, yanking the binder onto her pile and doing her best to balance the heavy stack. "First he'll be a trainer when he graduates, I'll be a leader. No competition for a spot. Second, I doubt he's anything special, because they've been polling for a tutor." She slammed the door with her free hand, then quickly lifted her books so she could wrap both her arms around them. "And he's from freaking Pallet. Aside from the Oaks and corn, what's ever come out of Pallet Town?"

"You're really not curious?"

"Nope."

She winked. "Because I was thinking of hiding in the bushes when he came."

* * *

Ash Ketchum was hardly listening to his guide, taking in the bustling city he'd been dropped into. Not that he was complaining, mind. He was plenty happy to get a chance like this to be a trainer. He just wasn't too fond of the whole place having to be in Goldenrod. Pikachu was negatively curious too, his ears high as he paid close attention to the oncoming traffic to their right. He patted her head in hopes of reassuring him, and nodded at the bushes.

"I know they don't have any trees, but they've got those…shrubbery things," he muttered, eyeing the cement and brick he stood on. "Even if everything else is made of rock."

There was a rustle in the bushes and he spun around, ordering Pikachu to throw out an electric attack, thunderbolt or thundershock he couldn't remember which. The little mouse was shocked too, creating a stronger blast than necessary. Then, to shock them even further, instead of a pokémon wooshing out or strong, middle aged men with five o' clock shadows for beards, two teens leapt from the bushes with horrified shrieks.

"My bike! My bike! You fried it!" Misty gasped, eyes wide with horror as she clutched at the broken thing. "How am I supposed to get to the stores? Or home? I take the train and it drops me off a ways a way and I have to bike the rest of the way and you fried it!"

He gaped for a moment, then finally shouted back: "Why were you in the bushes?"

"We were spying on you, duh! Get me a new bike to replace the one you exploded!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because you were _spying_ on me in the _bushes_!"

She glared, placing her hand on her hip in a contrary fashion. "I still don't get why I don't get my bike back."

* * *

Daisy groaned. "We _can't_ afford to buy you a new bike. We can hardly get you home! Like, _honestly, _Misty, how the hell could we get you a new bike when the gym has been so slow?"

"Why has the gym been slow? Have you had another losing streak?"

She stuck her tongue out, despite the fact that anyone could see her through the public video phone. "No. None of the kids are training here anymore. They all dropped out. Well, not all, but a lot of them. Training's not as big anymore. There's too much other stuff. If you ask me, all these stupid pokémon sports never should have took off!"

"You'll get plenty in a while. The trainer's from last year should be about to start their journeys. They always start in the fall."

"It's not enough. We need to do shows again," she argued.

"Fine."

"On break, _you_ need to do shows."

"What?" she yelped, leaping up from the chair with the phone still securely fastened to her ear. "Absolutely not! You know how I hate doing those stupid shows and…and…and I can't get home anyway! So I'm not doing them!"

"If you want to graduate you'd better. We need all the extra cash we can get. The inheritance won't last forever, and the League isn't that generous."

"But I need a bike!" she shouted, stomping her foot and drawing attention.

"Well, you'll have to find a way to get one! That's what you get for hiding in the bushes and spying on the new hot kid!"

"What's wrong with hiding in the bushes? I couldn't help it! May way the one who got me to do it, but no one ever thinks of her because she's so innocent and _her _bike wasn't destroyed! And, thinking about that stupid bike, how the hell am I supposed to find a way to get one?" Several of the kids in the courtyard giggled, and Misty left, cheeks flaming as the rumors started.

* * *

"So. You want a bike," Lieutenant Surge chuckled, crossing his camouflaged arms and glaring down at Misty. He wore a cocky smirk and muscles that were big, but still managed to be proportionate to hid body. No tattoos that she could see, however, despite the fact that he seemed like the guy who would have a few.

She gritted her teeth, crossing her arms as well, and stood her ground as she stared up into his boxy features. "Yes, Surge, I want a bike. That's why I'm in a bike shop."

"What's your name, Weedle?" he sneered.

"Surge, you've known me since I was two. You know what my name is."

"If you're not going to give me your name, weedle it is! Well, Weedle, you think you can handle a Rydel cycle?"

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I _think_ I can handle it."

"This isn't an ordinary bike."

"Yes. Yes it _is_."

"You know, when I was in the war-"

She stomped her foot and snapped at him, "I swear, Surge, if you don't help me got a bike I'm telling your nephew you stalked him here from Vermillion! I don't think he knows you're in the bicycle shop, does he? I don't think he'd like if very much if he found out!"

There was an awkward silence for a moment, before the Lieutenant cleared his throat and muttered, "If you wear a Rydel shirt and ride it for three hours a day you'll be done by the end of the school year. If you do weekends you're be done by spring break."

"Which bike?" she asked.

"It's advertising, so you get our best one, that red rocket," he said, nodding towards the one mounted on the wall.

She couldn't breathe when she looked at it. Her old bikes had always been hand-me-downs, with the paint chipped off and a chain that had to be drowned in oil to make up for the rust. This one was sleek and smooth, the red paint mixed with glitter that would make it glow in the sun. She bet the chain would catch on it and make her spin out of control. She bet that kiddish bell sounded like a choir when you rang it.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured.

"Yeah. Don't hide in any bushes with it."

**

* * *

**

"Kid!" she shouted, racing down the hallway. "Hey, kid!"

Ahs Ketchum turned slowly, eyeing the redhead rushing for him. She looked familiar, didn't she? Ah wait, that was the stalker. He'd shocked her bike last week. That's right. She was supposed to be pretty smart usually, but was a little off. Apparently, stuff like stalking people in the bushes was a common occurrence in Goldenrod. Still, he couldn't quite recall who she was. Misty something. Williams, he thought.

"I just wanted to tell you that I got a new bike and it's way better than my old bike, so your plan to ruin my life didn't work," she said, panting from her run.

"I wasn't trying to ruin your life," he defended. "It was an accident! I'm sorry, but it was your fault for hiding in the bushes and scaring us like that."

(_Don't hide in bushes and this won't happen,_) Pikachu agreed hotly.

She stood back up, pointing an accusing finger at them both. "No! It wasn't my fault and you're going to pay me back, dammit! I have to work three hours a day to get this bike, and you owe me because it was your fault and my life is over now!"

"It was not."

"Was too."

"Was not!"

"Was t-oh my Mew I'm five! It's your fault and I want my money and I never want to see your ugly face again! So there!" And she proudly stormed off with her nose stuck in the air, ignoring Ash's astonished looks and the snickers from the other children in the hallway.

* * *

"I want to see his ugly face again," Misty moaned, dropping her head to the lunch table. A second later, her head was right back up with a mildly bright idea, sticking her index finger in the air. "It wouldn't hurt just to visit him for a while, would it? I could probably hide better this time. He'd never see me, especially if my friends came along with me to make sure I don't do anything stupid to reveal myself!"

"Misty, no," May ordered. "No."

"I'd hide in the bushes with you. I don't care if we become a laughing stalk." Dawn beamed.

She made a happy sound and clapped her hands together. "You're the best freshman ever! I knew you frosh had to be good for something more than shoving into trashcans! May, you've been replaced by a freshman. How does that feel? Why are we even friends?"

She twisted a fry in some ketchup, remembering the day they had met. After a second of being sure to get the story perfectly straight, she explained, "When you were a freshman and I was a seventh grader we met exploring the pokémon breeding center. We both got in trouble for tipping over a huge bucket of pokeballs and releasing hundreds of breeding stock, and you decided I was the sister you never had."

"Welcome to the sisterhood, Dawn," she congratulated.

"Don't come crying to me when you get caught! I won't help you clear your name when you do something stupid."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Ash's room is right below Drew's. I bet he'll come out while I'm yelling at Ash. He might even be shirtless."

* * *

"Ketchum! Ketchum, you coward, come out!" Misty shouted, throwing a heavy rock at the Plexiglas window. It moaned and thundered in response and did so again when she chucked another heavy rock. She was careful to only hit the window, as she imagined chips would go flying if she hit the red brick that made up most of the dorm. "Don't make me serenade you! Get your ass out here!"

He threw open the sliding door and stormed out onto the small deck. "What's wrong with you?"

"You owe me a biiii-iiike!" she called her voice sing-songy as it floated up to him.

"Are you high?"

"Noooo."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want my bike moooneeeey!"

"When I have the money I swear I'll give it to you, alright?"

"Okaaaay."

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"I never want to see your stupid face agaa-aain!"

"I'll see you in school."

"I won't look at yoooou!"

"Can't we just make up and be friends? Or just _not_ be enemies."

"Nooo! I hate yoooou!"

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Would you shut up?" Drew shouted, running out shirtless. "Who the hell yells at people at four in the morning?"

"May's hiding in the bushes with Daaa-aawn!"

May, from the bush, picked up a pebble and chucked it at her head, proud when it managed to connect. The girl looked back, and she beckoned her over, snatching her into the bushes when she was close enough and proceeding to shake her senseless. "Misty, why do you never shut the hell _up_?"

* * *

"Misty Williams, please report to the office."

"Why?" she muttered oat the PA system, picking up her bag as she went. "I'm thirsty anyway."

"And don't dawdle this time. Just come to the office, without stopping by the vending machine. And, speaking of vending machines, Gary, will you please stop spending your study halls cleaning them out? Just because you have the money to doesn't mean you have to buy them all out."

She got a little chuckle from that announce, but went on her way. First down the hall, then up the stairs, down the hall again, and into the office, she walked. Her reward for it all was a common sight, the Principle of the Kanto Sector, Lorelei, and a not so common sight of a lolling Ash Kechum in a chair with Pikachu on his shoulder. She froze the second she saw him, swearing she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise with hate.

"Don't go," Lorelei said with a grin. "You're not in trouble."

"Why's he here then?" she argued. "The only reason he'd be here would be so he could get me in trouble. He wants to ruin my life! I mean, you know he already ruined my bike. It's all over the school."

She folded her hands and leaned forward over her desk. "Ash needs a tutor, you need a break. If you agree to tutor him and if you tutor him well your only homework this year will be studying for tests. I'm guessing that will be enough to set aside your spite and work with him?"

"Why me?" she gasped. "What would you want _me _for? We don't get along! Gary's smart and he got mentioned on the announcements already. What about him?"

"Because _he_ is not going to be a trainer, or a gym leader, or, hopefully, a member of the Elite Four," she retorted coolly.

She felt a blush rise up her cheeks as Ash repeated, "The Elite Four?"

"You're one of the most promising Kanto students, and the fact that you specialize in water only helps your case. You're already close to my element, it'd be incredibly easy to teach you so many strategies, Misty. You know I'd like to see how you'd be for the League. And, as much as I'd like to wish it isn't true, part of League duties is having to mingle with people you don't like. You have to learn how to do that.

"Ash is also from Kanto, so I'm responsible for him, and he has incredible potential, more than you or me or anyone I've ever seen." Now it was his turn to blush, even deeper when the redhead looked at him with a sort of awe, having heard her idol praise him so. "I'm not losing him because he can't add two and two."

"So, you're pretty desperate." Misty giggled. "I could ask for a scholar-"

"Don't push it. You bike broke because you were stalking the boy and now you have to pay for it. You can't use your tuition for it."

"Ash is buying me a new bike, aren't you, Ash?"

"I can't wait for you to tutor me." He grinned. "We can be friends, like I said."

"No!" she shouted, shaking her head at him. "Not friendship, not acquaintances, not anything! This is business. You're going to get an A and then I'll never have to see your ugly face again! And I never want to!"

* * *

Every day, weekends included, Misty signed in at the bicycle shop then went off on her route, MP3 player blaring as she went. No homework, hardly a test worth studying for, just a lazy afternoon of peddling the well oiled bike. Granted, the shirt was baggy and practically blinding with it being a reflective neon green, and the short sleeves left her arms a little cold. Her legs weren't cold, they never got cold, but her arms sure did. She didn't have any long sleeved shirts on her either, only her pink windbreakers, and was ticked about it.

Still, as her legs got used to the long rides and they soon stopped aching and the cold didn't bother her as much, especially when she managed to borrow something long sleeved from a friend. The bike's motion was smooth, seeming to avoid every bump and groove in the pavement, and it hardly required the lightest touch of her foot to plow on. She'd taken a baseball card and clipped it to the spoke, supposedly to get people's attention, though she couldn't deny she loved pretending she was on a motorcycle.

Riding her bike in the fall was perfect, pristine, untouchable, and she would never tell Ash she was thankful to his little mouse for ruining her horrible old one.

**

* * *

**

"So, when's your first lesson with him?" May asked, crunching into a carrot stick.

"The note says tomorrow, after I finish cycling around town," she returned, glaring at the fancy office stationary. "Have to go to the boys' dorm to do it, though. Ugh. Better make sure I don't have to pee. Their bathrooms are nasty."

"They can't be that bad," Dawn argued.

"Strike one, Dawn. Yes they are. Don't touch anything in the boys' dorm, never ever."

"Why would I go to the boys' dorm?"

"Strike two! I can't even respond to that it's so ridiculous!" Misty cried. "I can't believe this. I have to go inside. It's bad enough I have to hear the stories about it. Do you really think I can live through this?"

"Sure you will. It's just a really big really scary adventure. You can do this," May reassured. "I'm with you in spirit. I'll never go there, though. I'll walk across a volcano with you but there's no way I'm going to a huge dorm full of boys."

"I wouldn't mind a study date with Ash. He's really cute, and sweet too. A guy dropped all his books yesterday and Ash bent down and helped him pick it all up. It was so sweet, especially since the kid's totally a dork. Nobody likes him in my grade. Oh, _and _he's in my grade. Most guys just shove the frosh into trashcans because that's all we're good for."

"Strike three, frosh. Your best friend privileges have been revoked. It's back to man bait for you!"

"Come on, Misty, that doesn't deserve a strike. Even you said the first time we met him that you thought he was cute."

"That never leaves the table," she hissed, slamming her open hand down.

"Hey, Misty, you're not one of those girls that refuse to admit they like a guy, no matter how obvious it is?"

"You're not pairing us up!"

"Hey, you're going on a study date with the guy," May shrugged. "Just saying."


	2. Chapter 2

Well, you guys liked it so I guess you're getting it! I'll see if I can update these one a day, maybe more if I get enough free time to edit them.

So, here they are! 11-20. Complete with May's complete inability to get a date for a school function. Which, honestly, is my favorite part of this whole fic. And it comes back. Repeatedly. :D  


* * *

The boys dorm wasn't the wreck she thought it would be, looking just like the hotel styled place the girls lived. Rich red carpets, a dark colored wallpaper and hanging lights at regular intervals. Well, there was a pair of boxers on one of the lights, but she supposed that wasn't much different from the occasional bra that showed up at her place. She guessed she was scared for no good reason. After all, it wasn't like guys could sense an estrogen filled human stepping in, and it wasn't like they'd lose all control and gang rape her if they could.

She was going to be fine. She was going to be _more_ than fine. She was going to tutor Ash, run home, and reward herself with a gallon of German chocolate ice cream. Yup, sit through a night with Ash, use that gorgeous bike to rush out to a store, buy a gallon of the best quality she could find and let it melt in her mouth while she watched some good chick flick or a great sitcom. Preferably one with no guys, but she could stand it if they pranced around shirtless.

"Hey, Misty, I heard you're tutoring Ash."

She stifled a scream and spun to see it was Brock who spoke, a towel clad Brock that looked quite nice nearly naked, she had to admit. She was probably closest to him out of all the other gym leaders, being just a city away and not nearly as creepy as Surge could be. Well, at least not to her. Her sisters weren't too fond of his mooning over them, but they got it often enough not to mind. He wouldn't do anything terrible to her. She was sure of it. Absolutely sure of it.

"Hey Brock," she said, surprised her voice shook. "Siblings okay?"

"They're going great, not all of them want to come here and learn to train, but…" He shrugged. "What can you do?"

"Yeah" she agreed with a chuckle. "What can you do?"

Brock smiled back reassuringly. "Ash is a great guy. We've really hit it off. I think you'd like him if you'd try a little. He is serious about the friends thing. I mean, he tries to get on everyone's good side, but in a nice way. He's genuine, y'know?" She nodded mutely. "The guys don't get back until twelve, anyway. Not the ones that drink. So you don't have to be nervous. There's not going to be giant parties breaking out."

"Right," she nodded curtly. "Thanks."

"He's got the first door on the left. Good luck."

**

* * *

**

"Alright!" she said loudly, storming into the room with her head held high. "You're not going to pull anything funny, okay? _Nothing_. We're going to study, we're going to ace this, and then I can get back to my life. We're not holding your weird friendship ceremony. We're business associates. Sound good?"

Ash smiled to himself, opening his English book. "I'm not hard to teach, if it's just one on one. I'm bad in a class, though, so I always end up failing. Trust me, this is going to be the easiest tutoring job you'll ever have."

"I hate teaching," she countered, sitting on his bed. His room was neat enough, she guessed, but he had just moved in after all. Maybe it was because of the little mouse he had sleeping in the corner. If he came from Pallet, he probably knew enough about pokémon than to make them live in a dust covered pigsty, especially the smaller ones. All it would take is for him to get stuck somewhere, or get caught in a cloud of dust and there could be serious problems.

"He's sleeping," Ash said, gesturing at Pikachu. "While we're talking about this Shakespeare guy, try not to be too loud."

"This Shakespeare guy? You mean the man who wrote infamous plays, revolutionized the drama industry and still had works that hold meaning today?"

"Yup, that Shakespeare guy," he chirped. "If you know all that without the book, this is going to be fun! Oh, _and _you got mad without yelling and waking up Pikachu. I think we're going to be great friends."

"No. Not fun, not friends" she snapped. "I just want to die!"

"I'm your homework now and you're supposed to be the best teacher I can have. I'm not trying to get into your pants or steal your job or ruin your life or whatever. I'm just asking you to help me and maybe be friends. Okay?"

She glared at the wall for a moment, a little angry that she couldn't think of one thing to say that wasn't just being stubborn or cruel, before finally growling a reluctant, "Alright."

**

* * *

**

"Did you make out with him?"

"No."

"Did you hold hands?"

"No."

"Meaningless sex?"

"Arceus, Dawn! _Ew_, no!"

"Speak romantic nothings all night?"

"No."

"Dance or sing together?"

"No."

"What did you do?"

"Studied English, Math and Science. Tomorrow we're doing trainer studies, strategies and history."

"You're the worst senior rolemodel ever."

"And you're a stupid frosh.

"At least I know a hot guy when I see one! I would have tried something with him."

"I don't think he'd go for that. I heard he's not looking for a relationship."

"I hear he's into redheads."

'Would you _shut up_?"

**

* * *

**

"How did your first night with Ash go?" Lorelei asked, leaning forward over her desk in that curious headmaster way she had come to master. "I didn't get any complaints so I'm assuming you either worked well together or you worked out a way to kill him quietly."

Misty leaned close as well, though her leaning was much less to do with a curious headmaster and much more the guilty murderer and whispered, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Oh, stop," she scolded, sitting back. "I'm very proud that you managed to get along with him, and I'm sure you'll be able to continue that."

"It's not like he even needed me," she argued. "He just repeated everything right back to me once I went through it with him."

"Repeating it hasn't been the problem. You made sure he understood it, didn't you?" Lorelei prodded.

"What do you mean? 'Course he did. He repeated it back to me perfect and we got through his homework together alright."

The older women frowned. "Yes, but did he _understand_? Do you think he could write an essay on it? Or even interpret?"

"How could he know all that and not understand it?"

Lorelei rubbed her temples for a moment, glaring down at her fine mahogany desk with the utmost patience, before sighing rather dramatically and raising her head. "Have you ever heard of a chatot?"

"So he's just paroting me! That lying bastard!" She slammed her fist on the desk. "He's dead come Monday morning!"

**

* * *

**

May glared at the poster on the wall. "You stupid fall dance. I went to you alone every year, but not this year. This year, I'm going with the hottest guy in school. I think Drew likes me. Everyone says he does and I think we got really close after spending the summer practicing together and texting and emailing and talking on the phone with each other. I'm going to do it. I'm really going to do it."

Misty stopped herself as she was storming by, calming enough to put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, May. You'll get a da-"

"I'm not going to cry."

"Oh." She hesitated. "Can I, uh…Can I go kill Ash? I just found out my whole brave adventure to the boys' dorm was a complete waste because he's a no good lying bastard."

"Yes," May said, glaring up at the poster. "Yes, you can."

**

* * *

**She pushed his shoulder hard, making a scene in the hallway as she shouted, "No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at _you _sir, but I do bite my thumb, sir! Ash Ketchum, I'm asking you to tell me what that means because, let me tell you, I sure as hell mean it as sarcastically as I can right now!"

He pushed himself against the lockers, swallowing nervously as he gazed into her terrifying, furious face. Pikachu wasn't of much help. He wouldn't do a thing unless Misty really tried to hurt him. He had trained his companion well, though at the moment he wished that the little rat was as aggressive as the day he first got him. Pushing thoughts of rescue away, as he knew the only help he'd get from the crowd would be a fight circle, he began, "It's from Romeo and-"

"But what's it _mean_, you idiot?"

"It…it's about biting your thumb and-"

"Do you even know if it's comic or dramatic?" she fumed.

"Well you said the play's a drama so-"

"Can you translate it into modern day English?"

"Uh-"

"No, _Ash,_ I'm not flipping _you_ off, _Ash_, but I am flipping _someone_ off, Ash." She smacked his shoulder again. "You didn't learn a damn thing! Tonight you're learning something if we have to stay up all night to do it! If you ever parrot me again I'm going to get my gyarados to drag you underwater and keep you there until those last little air bubbles leave your stupid, ugly face!" And, leaving him speechless, she stormed off.

**

* * *

**

"You're going to do anything with a girl in your dorm?"

Ash shook his head, putting a quarter into the vending machine. "Not that guy."

"You sure? A lot of guys would kill to be in your place, with the Williams girl," Gary said slowly, fidgeting with the schoolbag that sat next to him on the cafeteria table. Ash thought _that _was a little weird, as the other boy usually wasn't a fidgeter, not even when they talked about the subject Ash found scariest – girls.

"Why? She's not that pretty. I've seen a lot of prettier girls here." He pushed the soda button.

"But she's a Williams."

"So?" He slammed the little button again.

"They're legends. Her sisters were really pretty and huge flirts, and great in bed too. She must have learned something from them, right? At least, that's what everyone's rooting for. No one's found out."

He pressed the button rapidly. "Find someone else to do your research, because I'll never know."

"You're gay?"

"No," he muttered, kicking the machine. "But love stuff freaks me out."

"Oh." Gary nodded slowly. "I bought everything in the machines already."

**

* * *

**

"Why does Gary buy up all the soda?"

"'Cuz he's a dick," Misty said, turning another page in her romance novel. "How far have you gotten?"

"Second base, once. It was kinda an accident though. It was with Gary's sister, actually. Want to hear the story?"

"How far have you gotten in _history_."

"I still can't figure out how to go from happy flower picking Johtans to war mongering psychopathic Johtans and back to the flower pickers again. This is stupid."

"Yes. It is. Figure out why they're stupid."

"But I don't _get_ it," he whined desperately.

"You're a great battler, supposedly. You should be able to do cause and effect."

"But I can't and it's boring and stupid and you're supposed to be helping!"

"Oh no, not tonight." She chuckled darkly, raising her eyes to glare at him across the room. "See, if you don't tell me that you're having problems with something, like how you were only parroting and didn't understand, I can't help you. It's like I'm not even here. So, maybe when you make an ass out of yourself tomorrow you'll figure that you need me to be here, so I can teach you instead of _program _you."

"I'm sorry," he said, using his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Not you're not." She licked her finger and turned another page. "Not yet."

**

* * *

**

"Brutal on him last night. He was so embarrassed in history." May sighed in sympathy for the poor boy, then smiled a little to herself. "I know you don't want to hear it but…but he looked so _cute_ though, like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. You should have seen him. I just wanted to hug him and kiss everything better! Tell me the truth, Misty, you can't think he's ugly when he's got the absolute _cute_st-"

Misty humphed highly and lifted her head to stare down the hall. "Thanks to his obnoxious personality it's impossible for me to ever think he's anything more than hideous."

"The harder you fight it the worse it'll get," May sang. "You're going to make it into a forbidden romance which'll make it way more exciting and then you'll be making out in the janitor's closet before you know it!"

"That not going to happen."

May struck a dramatic pose. "Oh, he such a jerk and I can't stand him and even if I did this relationship is professional and it'd be so wrong which is what makes it so right! And then you make out with Ash in the janirtor's closet."

"That's not happening."

"Sure it's not, Misty," she giggled. "Sure it's not."

**

* * *

**

"Hey Drew," May said, shifting from foot to foot as she stood by him and his locker. "Are you going to the fall dance?"

"Yeah," he returned.

"Me too." She opened her mouth, closed it, nodded, and moved on with a squeaky, "Bye!"

* * *

The desk. It's made from mahogany. -shot-


	3. Chapter 3

So everyone knows: Contestshipping, very slight Penguinshipping (more like, Dawn can have anyone she pleases because she's awesome like that shipping), Ego and Poke shipping.

Yup so...there's kinda a love triangle, but not really. Not at all, technically.

* * *

She was riding her bike when Gary pulled up next to her, not that she noticed it was him at first. She hardly knew him except for the easy things – Oak's grandkid, researcher, lots of money, longtime money, stuck up and hot. She didn't care that much either, at least, not for the personality or the money. As long as she was running the gym all her base needs would be tended to and all the spouse's money could go straight to luxuries and it wasn't like she needed a lot of those either.

"Hey, Misty?" Gary asked.

She pulled a head phone from her ear and eyed him continuing to pedal her bike down the road. "Oak. Gary Oak, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Do you have to tutor Ash tonight?"

"Not if it's a Saturday. Is it a Saturday?"

"No. Wednesday."

"Damn," she muttered. "Why are you asking?"

"I was wondering if you want to go on a date with me."

"I don't put out," she said immediately. "I'm sick of all these crappy guys coming over to me and trying to get me to have sex with them because of my sisters. They had _boyfriends, _you know, long time boyfriends! Sure, they slept with them but they didn't sleep with everyone. You're not hot enough to get me to put out. Try someone with no self esteem if you're after a one night stand."

"Right." He chuckled, and the bike ride became awkward. "Would you, uh, like to go anyway?"

She blinked at him. "You've got to be up to something. You don't seem like the dating type."

"I'm not, I guess." He sighed. "Gramps said to try and settle down. You seem like the kind of girl who could settle down without being boring."

"Lots of other girls like that," she argued.

"And you're sisters…taught you stuff, probably," he said, trailing off awkwardly.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not, to be honest."

"And you're interesting."

They kept pedaling for a while, until she nodded and put on an extra burst of speed. "Eight o' clock Saturday. If you're more than ten minutes late I'm not going."

"Where do I pick you up?" he shouted.

"Rydel's!"

**

* * *

**

"You're going on a date with Gary?" Ash asked.

She jumped, typically being the one who spoke first, and not at all used to being accused the second she walked in a room. Well, not while she was at school. She eyed him carefully, wondering if he was somehow bluffing, though she didn't see any reason why he would. From what she remembered they had some sort of rivalry, but they weren't always at each other's throats. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Gary called Drew to brag and Drew bragged to Brock and Brock teased me and I went streaking down the hell saying "Gary's dating my teacher" 'cuz we made a bet and I lost." He sighed. "I didn't think he liked you like that. It told him you wouldn't have sex with him, so I really didn't think he'd be into you."

"But boys don't talk that fast! Girls hardly talk that fast!" she cried, then froze to glare at him. "Gee, thanks. Guys only want me for sex?"

"No, _Gary _only wants you for sex, because that's what Gary thinks girls are for." He beamed. "I think they're good at teaching. Apparently, they're not good at real life stuff. If they were, they wouldn't be going on a date with Gary." And the beam vanished, his face now distorted with complete confusion. "_Why_ are you dating Gary? You know he's a total jerk half the time."

"So are you!" she shouted.

"Seriously, _why_ are you dating my childhood rival? You're my teacher. That's not right."

She spluttered for a moment, trying to think of a response, but could only manage, "What do you _care_? You're not competing over me!"

"And in a bike shop, classy. Going to show up in your short shorts, covered in grease, tomboy?"

"It's none of your business!" she snapped, blushing.

"He's Romeo, I'm Mercrutio and I'm telling you he's a dumbass."

Misty froze, eyes wide with wonder. "You interpreted something. That's learning. You learned something!"

"Great, but, seriously? A bike shop with Gary? He'll try all your gears, that's for sure."

"Shut. Up."

**

* * *

**

"Should I dress up for it?" Misty asked, bouncing on her bed, cell phone in hand. "I mean, what do you know about him?"

"Rumor has it he's a manwhore," Lily said. "So if you do dress up, nothing that shows anything. Don't want to drop hints."

She giggled. "Maybe I do want to drop hints. You never know."

"You're not dropping any hints."

"You can't control me from so far away. I can do whatever I want."

"We'll call you. You're the good child so don't screw it up."

"Yeah, yeah. You know, nothing's going to happen. Seriously though, do I dress up or do I just…" She sighed, shaking her head. "I should probably dress up. It's my first date in, basically ever. If I'm going to get into this I should start with a good note. Maybe that yellow dress? No. Too cold. Wait, that cute white cover up thing. That would work, won't it?"

"Yeah, and May has those heels-"

"I'm not wearing heels. My flats. But…but I'll dress up. I mean, it's a date. My first really official date, even if it is with a manwhore." She grinned to herself. "Yeah. 'll dress up."

**

* * *

**

She stood outside the shop, eyes turned to the clouds. They were pretty thick and grey with rain, but it hadn't started falling yet. With the low temperature she bet it might have even passed for a snow cloud. She wasn't focused on it hard enough to miss him walking up, but she let him awkwardly clear his throat before she finally turned to him. He was in jeans and a t-shirt. She couldn't help but smirk to herself at that.

He recovered quickly, standing straighter and looking as cool as he could. "You look nice."

She giggled and walked past him, heading towards the heard of the town. "So, where are we going?"

"Movies. And I'll even walk you to your door."

She giggled again, allowing him to walk by her side and take her hand in his. "Sounds perfect, gentleman Oak."

**

* * *

**

She had made sure the Bollywood song was quiet enough that only the rooms directly next to her would hear it. Those were the girls that were all sure to be out on a Sunday night, getting one last party or date in before returning to their early morning classes that day. That said, she was blaring the music as loud as it could go on her portable speakers.

She was wearing a pair of summer pajamas, as she always slept hot, and dancing as sexually as she could. She wasn't quite sure that this was how a belly dance was done, or if she was any good at it, but she knew she was having a good time doing it. She watched her reflection grin back to her in the mirror and she admitted that she felt sexy, smart, mysterious. Her eyes gleam with a secret, he smile held a hidden knowledge, her body moved with experience.

It was because of Gary Oak. If nothing else, he knew how to make a girl feel special.

**

* * *

**

"You had sex with him," Ash accused after her fourth giggle that lesson. "You're afterglowing."

"No, we didn't do it. We didn't do _any_thing. I mean, we didn't even kiss. Gary just knows all the right ways to treat a girl." She stared off into space for a moment, thinking about it, then shook her head and glared at him. "You, on the other hand, are a completely oblivious idiot who couldn't say anything thoughtful if the words hit you in the face."

He shrugged and slid down in his seat a bit, shrugging his shoulders up and down. "So? Who cares if I'm bad with girls? I've got pokémon. I'm a prodigy. Who needs girls or English? I'm never going to need this guy."

"He's called Homer, and I don't blame you for struggling. You have the worst teacher in the school. Nice, but a sucky teacher. Can't even go in chronological order." She sighed, and came to sit next to him in the second chair by his desk. It wasn't the first time she had come over, as evidenced by the chair completely out of place, stolen from the cafeteria, but it still felt weird to be sitting this close to him. "You really don't want a girlfriend? Most guys your age would kill for one."

"I don't like anyone, not like that. When I find someone I'm sure it'll all work out."

"Love is hard. It doesn't just fall into your lap. It's usually unrequited too," she argued.

He laughed. "I'm special. Things always work out for me, don't worry."

"Oh yeah, hotshot? If everything works out so well then why do you have to have a tutor, huh?"

"Except school." He glared down at his textbook. "I wish Homer was alive so I could push him down a flight of stairs."

"Nice."

**

* * *

**

It was because he had startled her so badly that she had gone completely rigid, and the anger after was why her face had gotten so red. It made since, especially with Ash's laugh, a loud laugh, slamming into her ear like a freight train as he jumped up and down and tried to bring her with him. "I got an A! I got an A on an essay and that's never, ever happened before! Thank you! I got an A!"

"You're welcome," she grunted, twisting out of his hug and rubbing at her cheeks, as if that would cool them done. "Gees, don't sneak up on me like that. Just because you aced a test or something doesn't mean I suddenly like you." She raised an eyebrow to herself, muttering, "If you manage to pay me back for my bike things might change a little though."

"I've never gotten an A on an essay before, _ever_." He laughed again. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, again. Glad I'm not a crappy tutor."

"At first I thought you were just being mean to me, but you were actually teaching me something. All those nights I had to stay up late counted for something! I actually learned and wrote an essay and got an A for it!"

"Don't puff out your chest yet, you're still in _remedial_ English."

"An A's an A. Just because you're an advanced placement honor roll freak of nature studying person doesn't mean you can look down on me for being normal." He laughed again. "If you weren't crazy and I wasn't scared to death of you, I could kiss you right now."

She gave a bit of a smile puffin _her_ chest out with pride. "You can't. I'm taken."

**

* * *

**

"So, I heard you were making out with Ash in the hall today," Melody hummed merrily, walking backwards and eyeing Misty over her downward tilted sunglasses. "I thought you've been dating Gary the past couple of weeks, and I know my sources on _that _can't be wrong. Do you have two lovers now?"

"Melody, I don't even _know_ you, and what I _do _know about you, I don't even _like_. Why the hell is everyone so interested in my love life? A month ago nobody even looked at me in the hall unless they wanted me to beat someone up for them."

"Well, as fun as being a thug must have been, a new life is starting for you." She spun around and flung her arm around her shoulders. "See, you've never been on an official date and suddenly you've got two guys chasing after you at once? Can you really blame me for being jealous? And curious. Mostly curious, though I might be jealous about Ash. He's adorable, and I do like it when they're cute."

"Go away."

"I'm starting a betting pool on your love life, so don't make plans with anyone on when to break up with Gary. I know the big pool's alluring, but you need to stick with whatever your heart cries out for. I'm hoping it's Ash. He's so sweet, but with his romantic skills you're the best he's ever going to manage."

"You're not a matchmaker, right?"

"I won't destroy your relationship with Gary, but if you happen to break up…" She trailed off and winked. "Let's just say I'll _really _be hoping it's Ash.

**

* * *

**

"Into the closet," May snapped, yanking Misty from the hall into the janitor's closet. "What's this about you and Ash making out in the hall? I thought you were with Gary! You're not a two timer!"

She groaned, slamming her head back against the door. "Mewdamned _rumors_. No, I'm _not_. Ash gave me a hug because he got his first ever A on an essay. There wasn't any making out. I didn't even _hug _him back."

The other girl's demeanor changed considerably, her whole face lighting up now that Ash has become adorable once more and Misty was no longer a cheating monsters. "Aw, he got his first A? And he thanked you for it? That's sweet! I knew you couldn't have cheated on Gary, Misty. Even if he is a manwhore or a jerk or whatever he turns out to be, you'd still be fair to him! But Ash…oh, he's so cute! How could you hate him when he's that adorable?"

"Seriously, why are we friends? He's evil, _dammit_, evil!"

**

* * *

**

"You didn't really kiss Misty, did you?"

"Did you empty out the vending machines?"

"All but the one on the far right. Did you kiss her?"

"Not that guy. I just gave her a hug. Don't you people hug? I t was a thank you! If you don't trust me, at least trust Misty."

"She's never been in a relationship before. I don't know how she acts."

"Just look at her. I've known her shorter than you-"

"She's been tutoring you longer."

"You've been at the same school as her longer. I know she's not the cheating type and that's from a couple months. 'Sides, she hates me anyways."

"It could be a show, so nobody will think you have a thing going."

"If it is, she's putting it on for me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Little later than usual. Got to go to horseback today. :D And, for those of you who find that egoshipping fills your insides with lead, keep in mind that words are chosen very carefully, and subtext should be there if you look.

* * *

"So, the dance is getting closer," May said, leaning against Drew's locker and batting her lashes at him as best she could.

He nodded. "Yeah, so's the first school contest."

She was off the locker in a flash, shouting at him rather excitedly: "Don't think you're going to win, Drew! There's no way I'm letting you win! I'm going to beat you just like I did last year!"

"You don't have to _let_ me, May, I'll do it on my own." He smirked.

"Oh yeah? Well…well don't count on it!"

She spun away, walked down the hall, then sadly looked up to the ceiling and mouthed, "I hate me."

**

* * *

**

"Are you gay?" Misty accused suddenly.

"I'm pretty sure I like girls, but you never really know. Everyone always wonders in the back of their mind, don't they? Doesn't matter, I think girls are pretty and I wouldn't hate making out with one so I would say I'm probably straight. Why?"

"So you're sure you're straight?"

"As sure as I can be." Ash shrugged, trying to focus on the book.

She huffed a big breath, then released it slowly, then spoke to him in her very quick, very nervous, very distracting voice: "Because sometimes I show up dressed up for dates with Gary and you've never said anything, never looked at me or anything. So if you're not gay it has to mean I'm ugly."

"Or I could just _not_ be interested," he muttered.

"You're a guy! If it has boobs you've got to notice it unless it's hideous like I am!"

"No, that's not really it. Some guys just aren't-"

"Just tell me I'm ugly."

He slammed his book shut with a growl and a blush, spinning to her. He grabbed her tight by the shoulders, sure she was looking him in the eyes. "Okay, when I notice things like you're not wearing a sports bra on date nights and wear normal girl bras or you hike up your skirt when it's warmer, I'm not going to stare and I'm not going to point it out because my mother taught me better. Do you want me to wolf whistle?"

She broke free of his hold with a faint blush and a happy giggle. "Nope! Just knowing you've looked is enough for me. Your first report card is coming up. Are you excited?"

"Why? Don't care about school." Then, ironically, turned back to his schoolbook.

"Sure you do. You got all excited when you got your first A."

"But this is different. Report cards aren't exciting. You can see them online, anyway, so it's not like it's anything new. I know how I'm doing."

"You've never gotten a great report card," she argued. "It's a lot more fun then, trust me."

**

* * *

**

It was the _perfect _kiss. His lips were soft and cupped her own perfectly, not putting too much or too little pressure as he held her close. And it was snowing, just small little flakes lighter than feathers fluttering elegantly around her head. His hands were warm and soft and she melted into him like the snowflakes on her cheeks. It was perfect, he was perfect, and she was warm.

**

* * *

**

"Misty, I've never seen you like this!" May giggled. "You're all dreamy! You haven't raised your hand once in class and you didn't even try in gym! You just stare off blankly and sigh every once in a while. Everyone's talking!"

"And changing bets," Melody said, walking by with a skip in her step and a wad of cash in her pocket.

"I don't care. It was like a scene from a movie. It was the single most romantic thing that's ever happened to me and I'm not ever letting this feeling go." She sighed, clutched her books to her chest, and gave a happy twirl in the middle of the hallway. "Oh, I can't _wait _to ride my bike today. It's going to be _incredible_."

"It's getting a little creepy, actually. It's Disney fairytale turned real, fell in love in five seconds creepy. Could you snap out of it for my sake?"

"Nope."

"Come on, it can't be _that_ good of a kiss."

"Good enough for me! It's my first real kiss, not spin the bottle or a dare or a test or anything. An honest to goodness kiss. That's magical."

"You're so bipolar."

She giggled. "It's magic."

**

* * *

**

"I have a huge test tomorrow! Focus! Stop being all girly and weird!"

"Jealousy doesn't fit you, Ash. Get yourself a girlfriend."

He growled under his breath and picked up a pillow, then proceeded to beat her with it. She was screaming, he was screaming, and it all continued when she attempted to get away. He chased her into the hallway with the deadly pillow, attracting attention from many of the other boys until she spun around and began to wrestle with him. After a few seconds of rolling on the floor, Ash broke away. Misty immediately picked up the pillow and went after him.

That was the first play fight, and it was more than enough to take the kiss off her mind.

**

* * *

**

"May, you need to get up the courage to do this!" Misty said, shaking her by the shoulders. "I believe in you."

She was hyperventilating just badly enough that a boy passing by shoved his empty brown lunch bag into her hand as he continued on. She looked at it for a moment, then decided it was probably best not to breathe into it in case it had held something weird before and blurted, "No. I can't. This is _grade grubbing_ and all the kids are going to laugh at me. Maybe you don't care about your reputation but I have hopes and dreams! Contest winners and girls who have boyfriends aren't grade grubbers! I can't ruin my life for an A."

"An A against an A-," Misty corrected. "This is very important, May. This is half a grade difference. You need this. Once won't hurt."

"My reputation will be shot."

"But you'll have an A!"

"I have an A!"

"You have an A-, there's a difference, dammit. Get your A."

"You're a psycho."

"Yeah, a psycho with an A in every class," she muttered, twisting her head around.

"Why are you looking around like the police are after you?"

"Report cards came out today. Ash might hug me."

May snorted. "So? You're fine with being touchy."

"I have a boyfriend. It's inappropriate."

She snorted again. "But pillowfights are a-okay."

**

* * *

**

"Who's number is this?"

Dawn looked over, grinned, and began to swing her legs under the bench she sat on. "Nope, don't know! I'm just a stupid frosh! You'll have to pick it up if you want to know!"

"You know who it is?" she accused.

"Do I? Doesn't matter. You have to figure it out for yourself. Best answer, it could be important. Probably is important, like a dead relative, but what do I know? I'm just a stupid frosh!"

"Hello?"

"Hey, Misty, why are you trying to avoid a thank you? If you didn't want a hug you could have said."

"Ash? How'd you find out…how'd you get…" She shook her head, looking around as if he was spying on her in the bushes. "What's going on?"

"Dawn gave me your number and everyone knows _every_thing about you. You're like the main character of a soap opera." He switched into his best soap opera announcer voice, which sounded like his voice, only lower: "_This is Goldenrod High, where one girl makes her stand against the world. Will the cute best friend Ash pass his midterms? Will the ugly Gary ever stop being a complete ass? Find out next week on Goldenrod High!_"

"You're so friggin' dead it's not funny," she spat as the blue haired girl. "Ash, I've got a boyfriend. You can't go around hugging me."

"But the whole pillow fighting thing is okay? Really, Mist, we wrestled. I probably got further with you than Gary did."

"Don't call me Mist. And the pillow fight was just as _friends_ and it'll never happen again," she hissed, blushing.

"I don't know, Misty, if you're going to accuse me of being more than friendly I might have to act like it."

"Shut up! You know what I meant by it!"

"Nope. Don't think I do. Explain it, teacher. That's what you're here for!"

She growled, practically hearing the obnoxious little smirk sure to be on his face. "Okay, you obviously don't mean anything by it and it was dumb of me to think so. Please don't hug me so nobody gets the wrong impression."

"No problem, but the nickname stays."

_Click!_

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Kenny!" Dawn chimed with a giggle, waving as she walked by. "I like the way you're standing, looks cool."

"I am cool, Dee Dee," he retorted loudly. He wasn't, and everyone knew because he'd been standing with his hand against his locker for about an hour. It had been glued there, and no one was going to find out from _him_ if his pride had anything to say about it.

**

* * *

**

"Midterms at the end of this quarter, Ash, you really need to buckle down to pass them."

"You know what else is this quarter?" he said, standing on his spinning chair and spinning rapidly. Pikachu was on his shoulder, and she couldn't help but marvel at the mouse's strength and balance to hold on with ease. If she could cling to him like that without hurting him, there must have been some decent training. She didn't get much a chance to ponder it, because he snatched up her hand and tugged her to her feet, trying to get her in the spirit. "It's the competition! Big battles! Real prizes! Oh mean, this is going to be so cool! You'd better battle hard, Mist. I'm going to face you in the finals!"

"What did I tell you about calling me, Misty?" she scolded. It didn't matter, he was too busy spinning, Pikachu clinging tight to his shoulder, smiling her mousy smile. "Come on, Ash! We've got to study this! You'll never pass if-."

"Who needs to pass? I'm going to be a pokémon master! Pokémon masters don't need to know math!" he shouted, sounding very much like he was ten.

"They do if they want to do their taxes right!" she snapped.

"You can do my taxes for me. I'd pay you loads."

"And I'll run off with all your money."

"No you won't. I trust you. You won't take anything once your get your bike money back."

She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't want me doing your taxes anyway."

"Yeah, you do kinda suck at math. Maybe I'll hire Brock." He stopped spinning, face flushed with excitement. "So, studying right?"

**

* * *

**

"I don't get it. I'm dating the hottest guy in school and everyone wants me to go for Ash. Why can't they mind their own business or just let me be happy?"

"Jealousy." Gary grinned. "You really think I'm the hottest guy in school?"

"You know you are. You don't need me to boost your ego." She punched his shoulder lightly. "Stop acting all surprised and explain to me why my life is suddenly so riveting."

"Because you hang out with Ash," he said carefully. "He's…interesting. I guess. You hang out with him which makes _you_ interesting. He's special in the good way."

"You're special too," she protested placing herself in front of him and taking up both his hands. "Gary, you can be a jerk sometimes but…but you're smart and funny and sweet and handsome and…Mew, Gary, you're so fantastic! I'm happy with you, I really like you, and I don't know why nobody else can see that you really can be a good guy." She sighed. "Damn it, I sound sappy. Ignore everything I just said."

"I like you sounding sappy." He pecked her lips softly.

She smiled and kissed him back, warming up her insides like hot cocoa. They dropped the kiss, and walked down the street hand in hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Today I learned that Tony Hawk makes some great skateboards, and that I'm full of completely useless information.

* * *

"Why haven't you two said I love you yet?" Dawn accused. "Are you cheating on Gary? Because I can keep a secret, I swear! You can tell me that you're a two timer and I won't hate you at all. You just have to tell me in case I ever feel like I have to cheat in the future."

She groaned, gently rapping her on the head with her textbook. "I'm not cheating on Gary and I'm not going to say it yet. We've barely been together a month. You don't say I love you that early and num everything! What teen drama have you been watching?"

"Please, like saying I love you means anything these days." She waved her hand to brush the comment aside. "It's just how you let everyone know that you've claimed him as your boyfriend and everyone else needs to keep their grimy paws off."

"Stupid frosh."

"Stupid senior."

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Drew, the winter dance is only a week away," she began, once again leaning against the locker next to his. She took a deep breath, preparing for the worst: "But…you know, the contest is three weeks off though! Are you ready for it?"

"I'm ready for the contest, but I'm not going to the dance. There's no one here worth asking. I probably would have gone if there was a girl who just had the courage to invite me, but we go to a school of cowards." He shrugged. "I probably won't go to one dance all year."

She grinned. "Really, because I was-"

"Doesn't matter now. I have to go to my aunt's birthday party." He stopped and closed his locker, looking at her curiously. "Sorry, May, you were saying something?"

"You know," she accused, shoving her index finger in his face, shaking accusingly an inch from his nose.

"Sure I do, creeper."

He left.

…And May let her head fall heavily against her locker.

**

* * *

**

"Tell me what kind of girl you like, Ash," Brock asked, cooking a hot, gourmet meal for the large group of boys that were going over to Gary's for the night. As he did once every so often when his room was too packed with soda bottles, he invited a few boys over to guzzle them down and do whatever it is boys do when they're alone. Brock stood by the pot, stirring slowly and breathing in the good smelling sauce, something cream based. "You have to have at least one trait you can name off the top of your heard."

"Not really. I don't really talk to talk about this stuff either. It's bad enough girls keep sending me love notes. I mean, why are they so obsessed with me? I'm not even good looking. Why not _Gary _with his stupid magical soda bottles?" He frowned at the thought of his rival. "That _bastard_. You know, he's not even going into battling even though he battles me all the time! He's going into _research, _the jerk.

"Ninety eight percent of the females in the school would argue that."

"That he's a jerk?"

"They think you're cute, like their own boy Lolita."

"Goody," he muttered, putting his chin in his hands. "You don't know how annoying it is! I want attention, but can't they watch me battle instead of just thinking I'm some sort of life sized sex doll?"

"I can only imagine what would happen if you dress up like a little boy for a day. The girls would probably start crying."

"I don't want girls to cry! I want them to battle me so I can be a pokémon master!"

"And I want a girlfriend" Brock retorted. "But we can't all get what we want. Come taste this."

He sauntered over, picked up a spoon and dipped it in, popping it in his mouth. "Tomato-y."

"That's because there are _tomatoes _in it."

"Anyway, you can get whatever you want. All you have to do is smile," he then smiled to show how great his smile could be, "and anyone will give you anything, for a discount or for free depending on how nice they are! That's how it works for me."

"Not for the rest of us!"

"People and pokémon are my strong points. It's easy for me to get pretty much anything. That never leaves the room, though, I don't want people catch on. I won't be able to get girls into my room every night without it."

Brock stopped. "Are you messing with me?"

He giggled. "A little."

**

* * *

**

"Misty," Gary said carefully. "This is pretty fast, but this is supposed to be serious, so it would probably happen sooner or later."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Gary, I know you're used to girls being easy but I'd rather not get my boobs groped yet-"

"I _was_ going to ask if you would come to Pallet with me this winter break. Gees, as often as this comes up I'd think you're the pervy one." He laughed and picked up her hand swinging it gently. "There's hardly any homework for me and it's only a short while. I don't really know what you do religiously. No winter holidays or anything, right? All our stuff's in the spring, and you never seemed like the religious type."

She shrugged. "There's a few winter things, but I'm not really old enough for them so I wouldn't celebrate anyway. What's in Pallet?"

"The lab, my house, my family."

She felt her eyes widen. "Your family! You mean you want me to meet your family already!"

"Yeah, if you're okay with that. I know it's fast but-"

"Does your family include the famous Professor Oak?" she inquired.

"Yeah, of course it includes Gramps."

She beamed. "I'd be an idiot to say no. Of course I'll go to Pallet. I just have to make sure Ash gets all his homework done."

He laughed again, drawing her closer. "Do I hear thunder?"

**

* * *

**

"I managed to talk all your teachers into giving me your winter homework early. We can get it done in no time, I bet," Misty said, her voice much more lighthearted than it usually was during their homework sessions. "It's not too hard, and it's really not busywork either so it's not eight hours of multiplication tables."

He frowned. "You got all of it? You didn't have to get _all_ of it."

"You wanted to do some of it by yourself?" she asked, surprised. "If your promise to get it done and let me look over it when I get back you can do some of your better subjects on your own, but you'd better get it done. I don't want to get in trouble-"

"I've missed homework before without you getting into trouble. I wasn't going to do all of it this time either," he muttered, looking depressingly at the stack of books she held in her arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "Whenever the homework looked too hard I just don't tell you about it."

"Ash!" she shouted, the books falling from her arms and spilling to the floor.

"So I guess that's bad too?"

"Yes, Ash, that's really, really bad!" she gasped. "I could have gotten in big trouble for that."

"I would have explained it was my fault and you would have been off the hook." She glared and he sighed, letting his head fall over the back of his chair. "I promise I won't do it again. Much, but, so, I hear you're headed to Gary's place. I live in Pallet too."

She froze. "Not close to the lab. Not, like, driving distance, right?"

He smiled. "If I get my homework done I get to go home too. Talk about your lose-lose situations."

**

* * *

**

_Please don't be a moron. _Shoes_. Please don't be a moron. _Socks._ Please don't be a moron._ Shorts._ Please don't be a moron. _Shirts._ Please –_underwear_- don't – _bras_- be –_pajamas_- a –_toothpaste_- moron. _Bathroom stuff. Close the suitcase. Closes easy. Too big. Looks stupid. Don't have any other bags. Have to take travel home for the summer suitcase. Swimsuit? No. Winter. Don't be stupid. Anything else? Anything-oh. Present. Right. Got that. Is that all?

Turn to mirror. Fix hair. Fix clothes. Fall back on bed and ruin all fixing. Continue to glare in the mirror._ Don't be stupid._

"Please don't look like a moron in front of them. Don't do anything stupid. Don't _be_ stupid." Sigh. Fall back on the bed. "Don't be a moron."

**

* * *

**

"How was the train ride?"

"Fine. It didn't crash so it was just like always," Misty shrugged at Dawn through the vidphone, then smiled. "You should see Pallet though. It's gorgeous! I never would have thought it, but it's so different from the city. The woods and the ocean and it's just this perfect little valley. It's right out of a fairy tale. You should see it."

"Yeah, yeah, but what did you do on the _train_?" she asked, leaning closer to the screen.

"Was I _supposed_ to do something on the train? I just ate crackers and apple juice, like always"

"You should have been making out! You were on a beautiful, romantic tra-"

"I'm telling you about beautiful, romantic, _scenic_ Pallet Town and you want me to talk about making out?"

"It's not _wrong_," she retorted.

"Not, but it's like giving a nickel to a hobo. You could give less, but what the hell's he going to do with a nickel?"

"I have never thought of giving a nickel to a hobo as wrong."

"It's not wrong, but it isn't _right_."

"You don't make sense."

She sighed and put her head in her hand. "No, we didn't make out on the train."

"If we're not going to talk about that this conversation is over. And don't tell me about Pallet!" She winked. "I want to see it for myself, okay?"

**

* * *

**

"I'm glad you like my family. I mean, I can't stand them, but it's good they've found someone they can talk to," he joked, smiling when he earned a laugh from her. He bumped her with his hip playfully. "So, I think it went well. Gramps really likes you."

"Good, I really like him too. He's a sweet guy, smart too. I couldn't stump him on _any_thing," she complained.

"He discovered half the trivia you asked him, of course you couldn't stump him. You'll never have a chance."

She twirled in front of him, pressing her chest against his. "Not unless I discover something first. Though you'll have better luck, you and your family of researchers. I have to say I'm jealous, Mr. Oak."

"Jealous of my family? I'd rather have your sisters than mine. I'll trade. Yours is prettier."

"Your sister is beautiful, mine are hot. You've got Juliet up there," she argued.

He spun her around, hugging her from behind as he pushed her forward down the dirt path. "I don't think so, but you can't find someone attractive after fighting them for the bathroom every morning."

"I know what you mean. Four girls, one bathroom, not the best arrangement ever made." She blinked. "Hey, Gary, where are we walking?"

"To a house," he said.

"What house?"

"_A_ house."

"Gary, where are we going?" She said, planting her feet and putting her hands on her hips. "I don't do surprises. Tell me what's going on. I'm not moving from this spot and I swear to Arceus I'll stand here and talk about shopping and boys and chocolate for hours unless you say."

He sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Fine. Fine We're going to Ash's house. They're family friends, house of Celebi, and one of their major holidays is today. We're giving them a quick hug, hello, and heading home."

"I don't _want_ to see Ash. I _hate_ Ash," she spat.

He sighed again. "You can go back if you want, but we have dinner with them tonight anyway. I thought it'd be easier if you got it over now."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I knew you'd freak!"

"Great deduction, Sherlock! I guess you get an A for that!"

"Would you come on?"

"No!" She planted her feet. "And there's no way I'm seeing Ash at all!"

**

* * *

**

"Hey Misty, what are you doing in Pallet?"

"Die. Slowly."

"Oh, wow, I guess I forgot to mention that we come over to Gary's on the ninth every year and have a really nice dinner, since we're so close to the Oaks and all. I come from a really long line of trainers who all got their starters from the Oaks and usually kept close contact, giving them pokémon to study., What a coincidence. Must have slipped my mind. You'd figure I would have mentioned it _once_."

"I hope you become very dedicated to your religion, because your spiritual leaders are castrated to prove their commitment."

"You're from the House of Moltres, which, going by _your _traditions, basically means that you're a whore. Sorry." He waved merrily and walked off to the dessert tray, leaving her fuming.

**

* * *

**

"You're Misty, aren't you?" the brunette asked, holding out a hand. "I'm Ash's mother. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," she said politely, shaking her hand. "I don't know if Ash has told you anything about me, but they were probably jokes. You know Ash, always a joker."

She waved her hand. "You stalked him in the bushes, want a new bike, and have a love-hate relationship with him. Don't worry, you're teaching him well and you seem to be a pretty decent friend for him. Though, I am surprised. You're not quite what I pictured."

"Pardon?"

"Well, Ash never could describe how people looked, but I've seen your sisters on the internet and TV. They're very sexy. I was expecting a girl more like them."

"Yeah. I tend to let a lot of people down that way."

"Oh, I'm not let down. It's just that you…" she hesitated. "You're pretty like May."

"May Oak?" Misty asked, shaking thoughts of her school friend off. "But she's nothing like me. She's much-" She cut herself off, trying not to sound like a typical whiny teen. She was stuck for an adjective other than prettier, and was stuck with: "-taller than I am."

"You're look taller than her, actually, and as for prettier, you'll come into your own I'm sure. Not that it matters either way, you're just fine the way you are now." She smiled. "You're as lovely as Ash describe."

She gasped. "I've been nothing but nice to you!"

"Mmm-hmm," she chuckled. "Just as he described."

* * *

And before you try to eat me, obviously Misty hasn't been "nothing but nice" to Ash. The purpose of that comment showed that Ash spoke of her in a flattering way to his mother and to show that the good outweighed the bad in their relationship. Because _someone _would complain about that if I didn't say it.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay! We're planning a surprise party for my mom. Don't tell her okay? ;)

* * *

"Come here, kiddo," May said, tugging Misty into her bedroom. With a flick of her wrist the door was locked and she was leaning against it, blocking any chance Misty had of getting out. "What I'm about to tell you is for your safety, for your happiness, and you're probably not going to pay any attention to me, but it doesn't matter. Misty, I don't want you in the same trap Derek got into. You're better than that. Gramps isn't as bad, but Father is ridiculous."

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed. "My brother. Break up with him now before it's too late, and it's going to be too late real soon, so you'd better figure out that you have a future and a life and you deserve better than my parents want to do to you. Mew, kiddo, you're so young."

"What? Does Gary have to kill me? And how do you know I-?"

"You can't _live_ with Gary forever. You two don't react! You're very cute and very bland together, and it's going to fade fast. You're all supportive and happy but there's no spark. You're both so explosive when separate but when you're together you're so boring! Break up with him now unless you want your life to be like a three hour special on the history of grass growing."

"Okay, have you ever thought that Gayr just gives me the chance to slow down? That I'm _happy _with him?" she retorted. "What's the big deal anyway? What's he going to do, kill me?"

"By the end of the school year our parents want him married, just like with me. If they tied into the League through you? They just bought the whole damned pokémon industry! If not in the world at _least_ in Kanto. I married a _contest_ guy, the biggest contest guy you can get. He owns contests, and now my family does. They've started in research, my mom was medical, we've got some kind of uncle in breeding, all their missing is to tie into the League. You're Lorelei's little protajay, aren't you?"

She glared. "Gary cares about me."

"Yeah, he does," she said sincerely. "He really, really does care about you, and I think he really would like to keep dating you and do all the nice stuff couples do, but he cares about our parents and what they think of him more than you, and he'll do anything for them! He'll do anything to further himself and his career, even if it means hurting the people he loves. Really, Misty, save yourself before it's too late."

"First," she snapped. "I don't believe you. Second, I'm not dumping him. Third, even if it was all true, you think I'm a big enough idiot to leap into his arms when he says 'marry me'? Please. He hasn't touched my bra yet! Marriage is the last thing on my mind, and I'm sure it's the last thing on Gary's."

She sighed. "You know, they tried to get me to marry _Ash _for a League tie-in. Gary was a gentleman to Ash the whole time I was trying to-"

Misty shoved past her and put on a smiley face for the party.

**

* * *

**

She hadn't hit call yet, but Ash's number was on her phone. Right there. Waiting to be called. Because the big house suddenly seemed terrifying rather than glamorous. The expensive sheets weren't smooth, but made her itch as each of the thousand dollar threads scraped along her skin. The soft feather pillow cackled as she shifted on it. The spare bedroom, one of many spare bedrooms was empty. That was scary now, but the phone was warm, and Ash's name looked so familiar, his name sounded familiar when she murmured it out loud, and she wanted to hear his familiar voice.

But she couldn't. It was one in the morning. She couldn't call his house, right? No. She didn't want to wake his mom and he wouldn't have his cell on. But she could type a text, couldn't she? Sure. Her fingers know how to type. "May says Gary wants 2 marry me 4 my league connection". Those practiced fingers hit send when Misty couldn't, when her eyes trailed over the words and she was forced to choke back a sob.

A few seconds later and it shook, vibrating in her hand. Not a text. A call. For some reason, answering it was effortless, raising it to her ear with a worried, "Hello?"

"She said it tonight?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice shaking as hard as the phone had.

"Calm down, Misty. It's alright. I think Gary really cares about you, you know." She let out a small sob, then bit back the rest of them. "Don't cry, okay? Okay, Misty? I don't know what to do when people cry."

"I just need a friend right now." She whimpered slightly and held the phone tighter. "I'm alone and scared and instead of my sisters or friends I called you and I don't know why."

"If it helps, not only do I want to be your friend, but I've already got a friendly nickname picked out, Mist."

She laughed.

**

* * *

**

She leaned her head on Gary's shoulder, the slow rock of the train making her a bit drowsy. "You know, I think I'd be better off as a gym leader. I think I'd be a lot happier that way. If I stayed with the League I'd be in chains all the time. I can set my own schedule as a leader. Maybe I'll even travel a bit."

He stiffened. "Why would you do that? You've never brought it up before."

"I've never been to Pallet before," she said dreamily. "I'd like to see places that aren't boxed up in concrete. I mean, it's setting in that all the pictures I've seen in books and on TV are real places that I could go to and I could see them myself, with my own eyes. I'd love to see it all, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe once you've saved up-" he began.

"No way. Sack on my back traveling, nothing but me, friends and pokémon. I don't want anymore cages."

"It'd be smarter, too, if you stayed at the gym."

"But if I'm happy what's it matter either way?" she said, picking her head up.

"It matters because…" He had started strong, but faded fast. "You know it matters. Do the smart thing, Misty."

"Rather than following my heart?"

He didn't answer, and refused to look her way.

**

* * *

**

"So, how'd the break go? Was his family insane?"

"They were really nice, actually. I had a really good time and I didn't even hate meeting up with Ash. I think we bonded. I hate him a lot less though. We don't have much to talk about, but I guess he's not half bad."

"See?" May squealed. "I told you he was a nice guy! I told you! You never listen to me. Gees, I don't expect you to marry him but his not a jerk or anything."

"Ugh, no marriage talk. Avoid anything using the word marry or I'll barf. I can't explain it to you, but let's just say I won't ever look at Gary's sister the same way again."

May wrinkled her nose. "Is it something about sex?"

"You don't want to know."

"Ew!"

**

* * *

**

"You're the kind who doesn't talk about it, right?"

"Talk about what?" she asked lightly, taking the homework from him and beginning to look it over. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing happened this break. I was whisked away to scenic Pallet Town, made out with my hot boyfriend and got a little closer to you after seeing you in your natural environment."

"You haven't talked to him," he said, not accusing, but factually.

"I'm your tutor, Ash. We're talking about school now. Forget what happened over break, we don't need to talk about it."

"Put down the papers and talk to me as a friend then," he said, trying and failing to pull his papers back. "If nothing else talk to Gary and find out if he's really going to propose because his parents told him to."

"I don't want to talk about this."

"You have to talk to him," he said, tugging the papers harder. "You can't let him use you!"

"Ash!" she shouted, shoving the papers into him. He fell into his chair, the thing rocking back a bit from the force. "I know! You think I don't know that he's using me and he probably _does_ like me but wants to make his parents happy and just…just uses me? You think I don't know that we're not romantically hitting it off? That I love kissing him but have no desire whatsoever to go further? It's _my life_, you think I don't know?"

"Then why would you stay with him?" he whispered.

"He makes me feel special. It's what he does best," she murmured, running her fingers through her ponytail. "He's done it from day one. When I'm with him I feel like everything's perfect and everyone loves me and I'm the best thing since sliced bread. He's my fairytale. He makes me feel wonderful."

"That can't…that isn't good."

"No Ash," she said, "But neither is your math. Come on, let's focus a little more on homework."

**

* * *

**

"So, you asked Kenny out?"

"Yeah, and it's not a secret I asked him. I told you last night. Why are you obsessing?"

"I don't understand how you just walk up to a guy and ask him out"

"Walk over and go, 'Hi, I'm May. I have no self esteem and I want to date you, Drew!' Seriously, how many times have you tried to ask him out?"

"That's not important. I just can't believe you can just ask someone out like that! Don't you get nervous?"

"No."

"What if they say no?"

"They don't say no. I'm Dawn."

"But what if they do?"

"But I'm _me_."

"You're no help at all. I'll never ask him out."

"I don't get it. Why would they say no? I mean, look at me! I'm _me_!"

**

* * *

**

"Is he looking? Tell me he's not looking."

"Of course they're looking, it's _you_. You that slipped on a French fry and is now covered in your lunch. How's that for karma?"

"Great, now he's going to laugh about this on our date. Stop _laughing,_ May."

"I've never been so happy because someone was sad before. Is that normal?"

"Yeah. It's called schadenfreude. You're a normal human being."

"This might be the happiest day of my life. Ever. Seriously, I think I might scream."

"Help me up."

**

* * *

**

"Misty, do you love me?" Gary asked quietly while the romantic movie end played out.

"You make me happy, and I love being with you. I wouldn't give this up for anything," she murmured back. "But I'd rather watch them kiss at the moment. I've sat through two hours of set up for this part."

"I love you, Misty."

"Too fast, Gary," she scolded.

"No shit, Sherlock. She's known him for a week and they're already having sex in her flat. Whore. Real shit doesn't go down like that for nice girls."

She laughed and shook her head at the other agitated movie goer. "Gary, it's too fast. Some girls can say that without a problem, but I want it to mean something. When I love you, when I really, really love you, I'll tell you."

He frowned. "But I said I-"

"Never had something turned down to you, rich boy?" she retorted. Her voice was good natured. She sure as hell wasn't.

**

* * *

**

"You had a fight with Gary. He's moping and raging in his room, so I bet you won. Brock n' me want to go to that laser tag place tonight. Do you want to come? It'll be fun."

"Ash, you midterms are just around the corner. We can't go party."

"Laser tag doesn't come with a hangover and I'm sure you won't regret it."

"Ash, I don't know."

"Here, I'm going to be Robin, Brock's going to be the Riddler and you can be Batman. It'll be fgreat. Wait, no, crap. I'm Bat-"

"Too late, Ash. I'm coming and I'm going to be Batman. I'll be over in a flash."

"Yeah, well, we're not dating you so bring your own money. Dammit. I wanted to be Batman."

**

* * *

**

"Whoever-makes-it-to-the-counter-first-is-Batman-go!" Ash shouted, charging forward. Misty was right behind him and slammed into the counter a second behind. Before he could register, Misty shoved him out of the way, which he countered by shoving her out of the way. She yanked at him, the two getting twisted up in one another and shoving and punching and kicking in good fun to try and put in their names.

Brock calmly sauntered up to the counter, held his head high and stated, "Hello, I'm Batman."

The man behind the counter smirk. "Pleasure to meet you so far from Gotham, sir. Who are these two?"

"One's Robin and one's the Riddler. Pick which one's which at random."

**

* * *

**

"Freaking Robin. Can't believe that jerk made me Robin," Misty mumbled, clutching her gun tight. Brock came around the corner, decked out in his laser tag special armor, and a second later she jumped out at him shouting, "This is for the tights, sir!"

She opened fire on him and chased him down the hall with her best kamikaze yell.


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone wish my mother who doesn't know this account exists a happy birthday. Do it now.

* * *

She laughed with them, sitting in the parking lot with her now empty hot dog wrapper balled up in her lap. "We have to do this again. I had such a great time."

"Well, you did let Robin win at something for once. Only one round because you murdered Brock." Ash laughed, and Brock and him jumped up, doing their best imitation of the horrifying homicide inside, racing around the lot with dramatic screams and laser guns firing. He slipped and fell, practically bouncing on the concrete and stared up at her with a laugh. "Gees, did the tights really tick you off that much?"

"I had the same issue with my sisters, brought out a lot of buried rage." She sighed. "Can we just stop time so I don't have to go back to school tomorrow?"

"That's be nice," Brock agreed.

"We should skip."

"Ash, you have a test tomorrow."

"That's why we should skip."

**

* * *

**

"Hey Drew!" May said, running up to him as they walked down the hall, filled with girlish enthusiasm. "You're ready for the contest, right? You better be. The competition looks rough this year. They want it formal too, with costumes. I've got the prettiest dress, got it cheap too."

"I just wish I didn't have to wear a tux. They're always too loose or too tight."

"I'm sure you'll look nice," she comforted.

"Of course I'll look nice." He flipped his hair. "It'll just be uncomfortable."

"You'll have to wear a tux to the dance though."

"Yeah, but that's different. I'm not coordinating in it."

"Yeah." She bit her lip. "My dress for the dance is really elegant and pretty and…you'll see me in it, won't you?"

"Probably."

"Because you're going to the dance and I'm going to the dance."

"Yup."

"And we could…" She took a deep breath. "Probably see each other there."

She verged off down a hallway and found a locker to beat her head against.

**

* * *

**

"Ash, you're better than this! Midterms start tomorrow and you're nowhere near ready! How are you forgetting all this?"

"I've never passed midterm. There's no point in my trying anymore, Mist. Give it up. It was a good shot but you can't accomplish something that's impossible. Good try, you did better than most of the others but sometimes it's just not possible." He looked sadly at Pikachu, sleeping on her mat in the corner. "I tried, buddy, but it just won't work. Life is over for us. We'll have to be hobos."

"Ash, I got you an A on an essay. If you don't have faith in yourself, at least have a little in me. I just need to get your mind off of this. You like chocolate?"

"Yeah."

She pulled out a bag full of candy coated chocolate bits. "You get a question right, you get an piece of chocolate. Don't think about the test, think about the chocolate."

He grinned a bit. "I like this kind of studying."

"If this cuts study time in half, I'll be so pissed for not thinking of it sooner."

**

* * *

**

She took up both of her hands in his, staring him dead in the eye.

"Three things: One, you've done well enough in your class that even a failing grade will leaving you at a passing grade over all. No pressure, you're safe. Two, if you finish your test completely, the teacher will give you a bag of candy because I asked her to, so actually answer every question. Three, I know you can do this. You're not a complete moron."

"Thanks, Mist." His eyebrows creased. "I think."

**

* * *

**

"How have your midterms been going?" Gary asked. "You're done now, aren't you?"

"I finished yesterday, not that you'd know. You've been too busy with all your scholarships to big universities lately. You haven't been paying attention to me at all. I just ask for a little call now and then, but your future and livelihood is so much more important. Don't you know a high school fling is way more important that your career?" she giggled, scooping up some light, powdered some in her bare hands.

"It's not just a high school fling, Misty." He took her hand and pulled her close, the snow scattering to the ground. "I love you. I know it's fast for you, but it's been a few months and I really, really care about you. I don't want this to be a high school fling."

"Gary, don't do this." She tied to tug her hand away, but he was gripping her tight. "I care about you and vice versa, but I don't think we know each other well enough to be in love."

"I know everything you like, all your history and what you want, what you hate, what else is there to know?"

"My religion, my beliefs, my ideal, how I feel about think. You don't know me and I don't know you. Gary, I'm hardly sure of who _I_ am. How can I figure out someone else before I know me?"

"I do know you, and even if I don't, I love you. I know I do."

"Stop it!" she snapped, snatching her hand back. "Let it go and let me have you for a little longer! Gary, if you keep this up I can't _date_ you. If nothing else, you know me enough to know that I can't do this. Don't prove your sister right! Gary, plea-"

He took a step and kissed her softly, then pulled away with a mile. "Marry me."

"You lost me," she whispered, falling back against the brick wall of an old sturdy building. "I told you to stop and you didn't. We're done. I told you…damn. I told…you stupid _jerk_. I told you. And now it's over."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Bring home a different trophy for your parents. You lost me. I refuse to marry you and if we stay together you won't stop hounding me until I do."

"But I-"

"No," she glared out at the frozen ground. "Go home."

"Misty, I-"

"Gary, get the hell out of here and go home."

**

* * *

**

"Where are you?" Ash asked. "Brock and I will come take you home."

"I'm in a coffee shop, calm down. I'm not staring down a cliff wondering what death feels like. It's been over for a while. It's like when the tooth you've been wiggling for a while pops out. It's surprising, but it's nothing new and it's kind of a relief."

"You're sure you're not going to throw yourself on train tracks?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just mad at myself and him for not letting it last a while longer. Had to get off that crack sometime, though." She sipped at her drink. "Chai's good here."

"Where's here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Brock leaned forward towards the phone on the table. "Misty, you're on speaker. I can hear the trains running by. Do you need a ride?"

There was quiet on the other end. "Okay, but don't say anything about my face being puffy and red. It's not from crying. It's just cold out."

"We can bring May, if you don't mind. Or Dawn. Melody wants to come too for some weird reason."

"It's because she's a gambling whore." Misty sniffed. "She wanted me to break up with Gary so I could go out with Ash and she could win the bet."

"Then we won't bring her."

"That's probably for the best."

**

* * *

**

"What?" she gasped.

"I said we should have a super awesome dance party in your room or my room. It'd be just the thing to cheer you up. You like dancing, right?"

"I like dancing, Ash, but all this hasn't really put me in a dancing _mood_." She rolled her eyes and leaned on his desk. "Breaking up doesn't usually take that course. Can't you just buy me a box of chocolates so I can sulk like a normal person does after a break up?"

"No! You're better than that! You're going to have a dance party!"

"I am not! No super awesome dance party! We're going to sulk and wait to die because my brief love life is over and I'll never love again."

He grinned, happy to see a happy spark in her eyes. "What if I pay for everything?"

"You weren't planning on paying before? _Your_ party is for _me_. You'd pay automatically."

"Come on, you need to have some fun! There's nothing more fun than a secret super awesome dance party."

"You're using my break up as an excuse to have a party" She punched his shoulder. "You're such a jerk!"

"So, yeah, we're definitely have a dance party in your room. It'll be great."

"Not gonna happen."

**

* * *

**

_I gotta feelin'…_

"I can't believe you talked me into this. This is _insane_!" she shouted over the thumping music. "How'd you manage to get the whole building?"

"Word got around I was throwing a party through RSVP, and everyone wanted to come. They couldn't all fit and May said her little brother was like some tiny genius. He hooked up the music to the speaker system. So the main party's here, in your room, and the rest is spread into the hall."

"This is awesome!"

"Yeah, not a lot of people were too upset about planning the party. Thank me n' May n' Dawn n' everyone, I guess."

She turned to the rest of the room and shouted. "Everyone who planned this party is awesome! You're all getting a fruit basket or something because this is _incredible!_"

_Oh, I got a feelin', that tonight's gonna be a good night. That tonight's gonna be a good night._

"I can still hear myself think! Somebody turn it up!"

_That tonight's gonna be a good, good night._

**

* * *

**

She hugged him tight. "Thank you so, so much for being there for me, Ash. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"I only had the idea, everyone else was the one who made it happen."

She laughed. "Not just the party. You called to make sure I was okay, you talked to me at one in the morning, you wouldn't let me mope even though I really wanted to. You've been a really good friend. You were there, and that's what mattered. Thank you."

He blushed. "No problem. Sorry, I didn't really stop any of this or-"

"You were there," she said, smiling softly, shyly. "Seriously. That's more than enough."

**

* * *

**

Dawn grinned. "You're _bluuu_shing!"

"I am not."

She giggled and poked his ribs. "You are too. You're blushing! You have a crush on Misty, Mr. Nice Guy. Now I know why all this went on! Trying to impress your girlfriend, right?"

"Shut up! That's not it at all!" he shouted, face flaming. "Can't a guy do something nice for a girl without it being some romantic gesture?"

"They can, you know, unless they blush because that girl hugged them."

"I don't like her, so shut up about it already."

"I'm going to tell Brock."

"No! Don't!"

"Bro-ock!" she sang, racing over to grab him. Giggling, she pulled his head down to whisper her betting pool shifting discover in his ear. They pulled away from each other and laughed.

"That explains the party. Want her off the rebound quick, huh?"

"No! Ugh! That's not it at all! Dawn's a liar, okay? A complete liar! I wasn't blushing, it's not true and you're all jerks!"

"They're making fun of you again, Ash?" Misty asked, dragging in the vacuum. "Come on, even I'm laying off him tonight."

"I think he'd rather you lay on him," Brock snickered.

Blushing to the tips of his ear, Ash snapped, "No," and "I have to go to the bathroom" and stormed out, leaving Misty sighing with the cord swinging in her hand. "You guys are so mean to him. Not a lot of guys would do this for a friend, you know."

"A boyfriend would."

She frowned. "Don't tell me we're back on that crap again."

* * *

Nobody noticed (or, at least, didn't tell me), but last chapter had eleven drabbles, so this one has nine. Oops!


	8. Chapter 8

It's late, but it's still today. I'm still posting every day. My teeth were attacked by a dentist today (and they told me they looked AWESOME thankyouverymuch) so I have every right to be late.

* * *

"First round of competition today!" Ash cheered, dancing around the halls. "A real competition with tough rivals and lots of fun! That's why I came to the school! None of the boring school crap! Anyone else excited?"

"Yeah, but you take the cake," May giggled. "I haven't seen anyone this excited since, well, since I walked through the freshman hall this morning."

"Can you blame him?" Misty countered. "It's his first."

"My first _here_!" Ash corrected. "I've done loads of others, including one to get into this school, but they're supposed to be really good, harder than the others. I could use a challenge." He smirked. "So try not to cry when I win."

"The first round? Sure. Try not to cry when I take the finals."

He suck his tongue out at her, and she made a face back. "Yeah, you'll be fine as long as no one has a grass or electric type, especially with that gyarados of yours!"

"Hey, type trumping isn't the only way to win, you know," she sniffed.

"Oh, I know."

"What's _that_ mean?" she asked, leaning close.

"You two are so cute when you flirt!" Melody snapped a picture. "The betting pool has completely shifted. Half the people are already out, after the Gary thing. Everyone keeps thinking it'll happen earlier and earlier! Ooh! You're blushing!" And snapped another picture.

"Melody, get out of here!"

"Ah, love is in the air," she taunted, and dashed off before anyone could swing a punch.

"I don't like her," he muttered.

"I've taught you well."

**

* * *

**

He lit up when he battled, beaming, fighting, flushed with excitement. Compared to walking around the halls, playing laser tag, or studying for a test, he seemed as if this was the first time he had ever been alive. She knew she couldn't be the only one transfixed by him, not when he seemed to be the very heart and soul of that pristine Pallet Town. She couldn't be the only one who was completely transfixed, who couldn't breathe long after the battle ended.

"Mew," May whispered, as the stands had gone dead silent. "He just faced Koga's kid…and he obliterated him."

"That was incredible," Misty breathed back.

Melody grinned, looking over her sunglasses. "Completely red, a cold sweat, quick breathing and probably got a heart beating like hell. Impressed with his hunting schools. Good primal start. We'll have you two doing a mating dance in no time."

Dawn tapped her shoulder so the older girl would turn to face her. "Mel, you know you're a freak, don't you?"

**

* * *

**

"You're madly in love with Misty."

"No, I'm not."

"Tell the truth," Melody teased. "I think she's falling for you too, after you were all manly during the first competition round. Did you think _she_ looked pretty battling like how she thought of you? That's some people's thing. It was Misty's. Seriously, she thinks you're hot as hell in the ring."

Ash shrugged out of her hold, blushing. "She does not."

"Oh, please. She could get jealous by now, I bet. Maybe we should try just to see her freak out."

"She would _not_ freak."

"Hey Misty!"

She glared across the crowded cafeteria, clenching the soda can she'd just bought tight in her hand. "What _now_, Melody?"

"Get jealous!"

She spun back to Ash and slammed her lips onto his. Her soda slid to the floor and spilled, sending a purple fizzy drink all across the tile, and there was someone screaming "Get the hell off of him". Ah. Right. That would be her vocal chords straining to make themselves heard. That would be her body racing so fast should couldn't even bring herself to be embarrassed about the whole situation.

And that would be Melody being crowded by people, all hoping to change their bets to an earlier date.

**

* * *

**

"If you don't like him, why would you scream like that?"

"Girls make him nervous! He's never been with a girl before! She stole his first kiss and molested him! You don't know Ash like I do, Dawn. I mean, it's just like if Brock had force a kiss on me! It's wrong. It's because it's_ wrong_ I yelled is all."

"But you didn't pull her off or ask if he was okay. You just screamed for her to get off of him."

"I'm on the rebound. I'm bound to get a little clingy, right?"

"I guess."

"That's all it is. Make sure I don't get carried away."

**

* * *

**

They were in his room, somehow, except for some reason they were on his bed instead of at his desk. Sure, she'd been on his bed before, but never at the same time as him. To make it weirder, it didn't seem weird at all. It didn't seem weird that there weren't any books, that Pikachu had completely vanished, that his room was unbearably hot when it was typically cold as the tip of a mountain. It wasn't weird that he was shirtless (for some unknown reason), either.

He smirked. "So, I heard you thought I was hot when I battled."

"No, you're just a really great battler. _Any_one would stare," she protested, then backed up her point with a weak, "The whole stadium went quiet when you won."

He shuffled closer. "Come on, Misty. We're alone. No one will ever know. You can tell me that you think I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread. Really. I can tell anyway. You've been looking at me out of the corner of your eye during our study sessions. You thought you were discreet about it, you thought I couldn't tell."

She shrugged, feeling her blush ride up her cheeks. "Well, I…I'm just curious."

"About what?"

"Well, you're just…you're so different. You're really interesting."

"You think I'd kiss interesting, too," he said, his voice somehow unbearably sexy.

"No!" she cried. "That's not it at all! There's no way I want to kiss you. I'm…I'm on the rebound so I'm clingy, is all. I'm just clingy."

"I thought you were a _good_ actress."

His lips were warm, and his body was hot, everywhere he touched was hot and _she _was hot. Her head was spinning and they leaned back on the bed, her whole body aching towards him. Thank _Mew _he was shirtless, thank _Mew _he was so stubborn and unstoppable when he wanted something because this was _right_. This was the spark she never had with Gary. This was beyond puppy love. It wasn't warm but hot and fast and _this_, this was-

"No," she gasped, sitting up in bed, a hand tangling itself in her hair. "Oh, no, not him. Please, Mew, strike me dead before I end up with that idiot. That sweet, hot, caring little moron." She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, dream racing through her mind.

"Screw it," she decided, sitting up once more. "It's a phase."

And fell back into bed.

**

* * *

**

"I can't wait to beat Drew's stupid, perfect face in the competition!" May cheered.

"How can you be, like, _so_ excited about this but will, like, _to_tally die if you try to ask him to the totally awesome dance?" Misty asked, her voice high and hazy as she turned irritably through a thick, stapled, paper packet.

"Hey, why am I being Valley Girled?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm about to kick hot boy butt. Not a stupid moment."

"It's not you. My sisters sent me the script for the play I'm in. I'm the damned lead."

"Oh no. A star-ring role. How-ev-ver will you sur-vive?" she said sarcastically, making each syllable short and choppy.

"I hate these stupid shows. It's not fun for me to have to always be on stage, always acting, perpetually wishing I could be eating a bowl of ice cream and watching sappy movie on the couch. The only reason they pick me is because they know it'll annoy me."

"Mmm, ice cream and a movie. That's the sign of a good night."

"Right, but instead I-"

"Sorry, but screw you, Misty!" May cried joyfully. "I'm going to crush Drew and you're not harshing my mellow!"

"You're not mellow. How can I harsh a mellow you don't have?"

"Victory shall be mine!"

**

* * *

**

"I lost. I fail at life."

"May, you won the whole competition last year and you made it to the semifinals this year while using a pokémon you recently caught."

"I fail at everything I do."

"Dammit, May, don't be emo."

"I'm so worthless. I should just die."

Misty sighed and sat slinging her arm over her shoulder. "Alright, May, then let's have a talk about this. See, you can't win every year. You made it very far, and you lost very honorably. Well, you lost honorably in public. Back here, you're embarrassing, but you had a good brave face in front of the crowd. You had a great match against Drew. It went down to the wire. It was great, May."

"He's going to think I'm an idiot who has no idea how to coordinate. It's bad enough that I had to lose, but I had to lose to him." Her eyes narrowed. "Meanwhile, Dawn's climbing through the roster like a stripper on a pole. I bet she's had practice." She paused and sighed guiltily. "That was wrong. Sorry, but her pokémon are so much better than mine. Of course the judges like her best."

"To be fair, she also spent the bulk of the year training with Ash and Drew, so-"

"And me! Strategy thief!" she shouted.

"Let's hate Melody instead of our friends. It's only anger hate, so it doesn't really make a difference who you aim it at."

She sniffed. "Just imagine what it's be like to lose to Ash."

"First of all, I'm not going to lose to Ash, so your point is completely ridiculous. Second, I'd try harder to beat him next year if I did lose, which I won't. Third, I wouldn't feel that bad because he's, like, some weird god of pokémon descended on the world to save our souls or something. And fourth, I'd find something I know I can beat him at or just call him an idiot a little bit more to feel better."

"But don't you want to impress him so he'll like you?"

"May, Ash and I are already friends, and if Drew was any kind of nice guy he'd like you for the great person you are, not because you won a match."

"Contest."

"Right. You done being emo now?"

**

* * *

**

"Oh, damn," Misty muttered, staring at the new match up board. "Why in the semis? Couldn't it have waited one more round?"

"Only one of us is only going to be a semifinalist," Ash said. "Sucks to be you. I'm winning."

"No way in hell, Ketchum!" she shouted, rounding on him. "You may be a child prodigy but it's time to grow up and meet people of your own skill level, probably _better_."

"Get as pumped as you want now," he sneered, "It'll keep you from crying when I win!"

Lorelei chuckled. "It's like we let them lose in a candy store."

"Yes, it is" the redhead beside her agreed. "Want to bet on who will win?"

Melody slid over with a smile. "Mr. Champion Lance? Perhaps you would like to bet on something a little more interesting?"

**

* * *

**

Her final pokémon collapsed in the water, and it only took her a moment to call it back. She waited for anger. She waited for disappointment and rage and jealousy, but none of it came. She felt _good_ about it, like she'd broken a world record. Ash only had two of his pokémon left, neither of which were in peak condition. She had battled a legend, came close to winning, and felt like one herself.

"Ash Ketchum, you're fu-" splash! "ing unbelievable!"

"Not so bad yourself." He grinned. "Yeah, a decent teacher but you got schooled on the battlefield."

She smirked. "And now that I remember you're an idiot I feel _all _better."

* * *

Not a big fan of this one. It's more of a transitional "FYI, pokemenz is reel heer" kinda thing than anything else, but I thought it'd be silly to go through this whole thing without any sort of big competition.


	9. Chapter 9

Ah well. Skipped another day. Sorry 'bout that. Lots of homework and projects lately.

* * *

"Brock, this is stupid. Don't make me do this."

"You asked me how you could pay me back for watching over Pikachu for a night. Well, I don't want anything for it, but since you asked and I'm sick of your stupid denial you get this. Just do it."

"Brock," he whispered, "this is practically asking her…asking her…"

"On a date?" Brock finished smugly. "That's the point."

His face turned bright red and his voice leapt up in a whine. "Oh, come on, Brock! Anything else! Anything! This is so embarrassing! She's going to laugh at me and I don't even mean it. Please, please! Anything!"

"Girls really do make you nervous." He chuckled.

"No kidding."

"So, if some girl ever walked in here naked you'd-"

"Brock!" He cried, his ears bright with embarassment. "Would you stop?"

He paused. "You've never seen a girl naked?"

"I've been to the movies, gees. I try to be a nice guy and everyone calls me an idiot."

Brock smirked. "You want to see Misty naked, right?"

"No!" he shouted.

He leaned forward. "So, you've been locked up in your room with a pretty girl you probably have a crush on and you've never thought about seeing her naked?"

"Of course not!"

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, then tried, "Are you homo or asexual?"

"Neither! I like girls!"

"Then _that_ is crap," Brock said. "If you're a heterosexual human you _have _to have thought about it at least once, especially since you've got a crush on her."

"No. I hope you die."

"I hope you get laid."

"Brock!"

**

* * *

**

"The dance is tomorrow," May blurted, stepping closer to him. "Are you going with anyone?"

"No."

"Me either. You want…" She dropped her eyes down and sighed. "Do you even want to go?"

"Girls like it when I go alone. It gives them all a chance to dance with me."

"Well, aren't you little mister popular?" she muttered.

"Yeah." He closed his locked. "So, good contest."

"You're such a jerk!"

"Someone hasn't been taking their bipolar meds."

She shrieked, throwing her books down on the floor and shoving her index finger a centimeter away from his noise. "Ugh! I've been trying to ask you all year to go to the dance but you're making it impossible! You always know exactly what to say to get me all nervous and freak out and I can't ask you!"

He smirked. "Yeah, I know. I did it on purpose. I'll pick you up at eight."

She blinked, gawking at him as he walked away. Then, with joy, she pumped her fist in the air and cried, "Score!"

**

* * *

**

"She's got a pretty voice," Ash defended.

"Sure, but you haven't heard it since yesterday," argued Misty, glaring at the dancing girl. "Trust me, it gets old real fast."

Ash grinned. "But, Misty, look how happy she is!"

"Hey, I had the common courtesy to be _quiet_ when I was happy. Why can't she just sit there and sigh all dreamy like I did?"

"Because I'm going to the dance with Drew!" she squealed, spinning around. "I've been trying to ask him all year and it finally worked! Oh, this is incredible! I bet this'll be the most romantic night of my life!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Like you've never seen the backseat of a fancy car before."

"I'm so happy I'm going to ignore you being dirty and focus on my incredibly romantic night with Drew!" she giggled and began spinning and humming again. "If you don't like it, find someone to go with and get happy like me!"

"Can't go. I'm going out with Brock and Ash to minigolf and bumpercars."

"And I'm going out with Drew!"

**

* * *

**

"Wait, Weedle," Lt. Surge said, slamming a massive paw on the sign in sheet. "You've gotten that pretty little bike of yours all paid off. Did the math last night, then double checked it. You're four cents over, if you want the change."

"What would I want with four cents?" she retorted.

"I don't know, Weedle," he snapped. "Just got out of here and go play with your little friends."

She smiled, putting her hands over his hand on the table and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "You know, Surge, I don't think I would have had this much fun this year if it wasn't for you and this bike. I really had a lot of fun on these bike rides."

He puffed out his chest with pride, drawing a hand up to cover his heart. "Well, of course. That's a Rydel bike, best in the world."

"Will you miss seeing me?" She beamed.

"Of course not, Weedle."

"Sir, Cadet Misty, sir," She said, saluting with a laugh. "Thanks for everything, Lieutenant!"

He chuckled to himself. "No problem, Cadet Misty."

**

* * *

**

Had she always been this warm when she sat next to him? She couldn't have been. No. The body heat was rolling off of her and his room was so, so cold. That's what it was. His room was colder than usual. And he was sleepy. That's why his eyes moved so slow over her, not the feeling of his mouth going dry as he did. He didn't know how to explain how his heart exploded and the fire ripped through him when she accidently set her hand on his thigh.

"Your heater's broke," she stated, looking sadly at the blanket on his bed. "If you're cold, we could move somewhere else."

"No, it's fine here," Alone. In his room. Door closed and a room cold enough to make even Misty seek heat. Except for Pikachu, he was the only source of heat, and he was warmer than Pikachu. Maybe they could cuddle or…or…

He sighed. "Can we go over that again? I don't get it."

**

* * *

**

"You need to shut up a little," she hissed at him. "You're not supposed to be in the girls' dorm anyway."

"You come to the boys' dorm all the time!" he shouted, much louder than he needed to. "What's with the double standard?"

"It's _not_. Girls can't be in the boys' dorms either. I have a special pass from Lorelei since I'm tutoring you. You _don't_. So be quiet before one of the tattletales hears you."

"It's not like I'm doing anything. I could understand if I was going through girls' underwear drawers or something weird like that, but I'm just standing here politely while you find your old book," he said, strolling around her room. It was as plain as his, surprisingly. He would have thought she would have taken the time to decorate it, though most of the personal parts came from the stuff she took home with her.

"You're so damn clingy! Couldn't you have just waited in your room?" she snapped.

"My room's cold. The heater's still broke." He jumped onto her bed, personalized with a pink cover covered in blue bubbles. "Did you bring your own mattress? This seems nicer than ours."

"I had to steal the good mattress from Betsy Miller. Don't ruin it. Get off."

"Boy in the girls' dorm, going to do something in-a-_pro_-priate, like sleep in your beeeh-eeehd!" he shouted as loud as he could.

She glanced at his sprawled out position and walked over, book still missing from her hands. "Come on, I've got to sleep in that. You're going to make it smell all sweaty."

"That's hot," he said sarcastically.

"You're disgusting." She jumped onto her bed and began to bounce on it. All went well for a few minutes, until she landed on his arm the wrong way and ungracefully fell on top of him. "Sorry," she giggled. 'But you have to get out."

He shifted and pushed his body into a sitting position, and she found herself in his lap. She liked his eyes, she realized. She hadn't gotten to see them this close before, not close enough to see how pure brown they were, with only a few specks of black. She'd never noticed that his br4ath was so hot, or that his body was so hot, or that his lips were so red. They moved gently, murmuring, "I love your bed."

She didn't know if he had kissed her or she him, but she didn't care, not when his lips and breath and hands were so hot she could hardly breathe from it. It was such a contrast form his cold room and nippy outdoors, that she hadn't completely warmed up from yet. She thought it wouldn't hurt just to stay this close for a while, to warm up, as long as she didn't do much more, but her mouth was already open, tangling tongues, and it still wasn't enough.

It was weird, she thought, that she wasn't stopping. She should have yanked away by now, especially since she wasn't interested at _all _at how his tongue did that twirling thing her mouth. What _was _he doing? Wouldn't hurt to kiss longer, to find out. They fell back, Ash laying on top of her while their hands wandered. Somehow, his lips had found a way to her neck, and she couldn't help to breath out, "Ash."

Which managed to break the spell. They sprang apart, faces red.

"Misty, I'm so sorry!" he cried, wishing he had something to lean against like she had her headboard. "You…you were probably-"

"The rebound," she gasped, "and I started it because I'm on the rebound. I'm sorry."

He swallowed. "It never happened, right?"

"Oh Mew no," she breathed. "And if it did on accident, we didn't like it."

"No, we didn't," he said slowly, pulling a pillow over to cover his lap.

She sighed, keeping her eyes on his lips. "Right."

**

* * *

**

"I can't believe you made out with her! It's so creepy to think of you two making out, probably because I've known her since she was four," Brock said.

"How old were you?" Ash snorted.

"I was nine."

His mouth dropped open. "How are you still in school?"

"I'm the breeding teacher's TA!" Brock shouted. "You thought I was a student?"

"How was I supposed to know?"

He sighed, rubbing his temples."How was it? I mean, how far did you get before she pushed you off?"

"This was…um, hot, I think. It was…everything blurred and there wasn't anything I could think about but kissing her, you know? I mean, if you had told me if I stopped kissing her you would make me a pokémon master? Would have kept kissing. It's really weird."

He changed modes immediately, staring up at him. "Nobody knows and it _never_ happened. You better not tell, because I know Misty wouldn't."

**

* * *

**

"That dance was really fun," May said awkwardly, leaning against Drew's locker and trying her best to look cool. "It'd be pretty awesome to go to one of those again, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Too bad they're so far away," she said, biting her lip. "If only-"

"I don't get why you can't just ask me out," he chuckled.

She blushed. "I can too ask you out!"

"Prove it." He smirked. "Ask me out."

"I don't want to ask you out now, you self centered jerk!"

"Fine." He shrugged. "But I won't ask you out until you do."

**

* * *

**

"…and I don't know what's wrong with me! I'm level headed and smart and I think before I do!" Misty whined. "Why didn't I push him off right away? Daisy, what's wrong with me?"

"You're a nymphomaniac. It runs in the family."

"That's a real disease! It wasn't that! I…I…"

"You're a horny seventeen year old. Wow. This had never happened before. Alert the media." She rolled her eyes. "Misty, we come from a sexual family to begin with. Nobody expected you to be a prude forever.'

"I'm not a prude" she defended.

"When you came home for spring break you're bringing your new boytoy and we're going shopping for condoms. It'll be fun, really."

"Ash would never come to Cerulean and you can't take him condom shopping."

'I'll ask his mom so you can't get out of it. I'm sure she'll say yes."

"You can't tell her! It never happened! It's a secret!"

"You know what's not a secret?" Daisy asked. "_AIDS_. AIDS doesn't care if it's a secret, and neither does the egg in your uterus that could be fertilized into a baby of death at any moment. Still happened. You can't be in denial about a disease. Start thinking about condoms."

**

* * *

**

"I know you don't want to go, since it's so stupid, but…" She shook her head at her mirror. "No, you sound like you need cheering up and then he'll come to make you feel better. And you definitely don't want him to come, not with the sh…" She froze. "The show! Oh no! He can't see me in the show! That'd be _humiliating_!"

May set her head on her hand. "Misty, why can't we just see you act? I'm sure you're not bad."

"I don't want you to think of me as the stupid _whore_ I have to play. It's just…it's embarrassing. I hate doing it, but the gym needs it and I have to take care of the gym. It'll be mine next year." She hung her head. "Just one year and I'll never have to do this again."

She spun to her friend, taking up her hands. "I feel like I'm settling down. I shouldn't be settling down at seventeen!"

"Misty, being in a gym's not the end of the world, and neither is a play." May grabbed her shoulders. "This will be _good_ for you. It'll give you a chance to reason things out, come back to school and start over. You'll be fine. You'll be great."

She bit her lip. "May, I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I can't do this."

"You can too. After I asked Drew out to the dance? Please. This is nothing compares to that."

"Ash is coming no matter what I do, isn't he?" she complained, falling into her hug.

She sighed and rubbed her back. "You'll do okay."


	10. Chapter 10

The last ten, guys. It's been fun!

* * *

She cleared her throat, hands crossed tight over her chest and eyes refusing to meet his. "I'm, uh, supposed to invite you to Cerulean, if you want to go. It's not very fun. I wouldn't be offended if you wanted to stay or just go to Pallet. Since, uh, Pallet's a lot cooler anyway."

"No, it'll be fun." He grinned. "I'd love to go."

She glared at the wall. "It'll only be me and you aside from my family. You're the only one I'm inviting. So, really, if you don't want to go, it's fine."

"It's alright. It might be more fun if we go alone. Give us some time to talk about…about stuff."

She blushed, eyes flicking over for just a second to see he was blushing too. "Don't say it like that. People are listening."

"Maybe they should be," he said uncertainly. "Maybe we've got something interesting to say."

"Don't say it."

He swallowed. "Something happened. Maybe you want to ignore it, but I don't. I want to talk about it. So…yeah. I'll see you in Cerulean."

"Don't laugh!" she shouted awkwardly, making him jump. Then, quieter: "When I have to do that stupid show. Don't laugh."

**

* * *

**

"You can't go yet!" May cried. "You have to tell me how to ask guys out! I can't listen to Dawn! Every time I ask she just rants about how no one would ever turn her down!"

Misty sighed, setting down her bags to grab May's shoulders. "I have a train to catch. It is _not_ hard to ask a guy out, especially when even _you _know he likes you."

"What if he says no out of spite?" she whined.

"May."

"But what if he _does_?"

The whistle blew, and Misty groaned, looking over her shoulder at the train briefly before looking back at her. "May, listen. You promised me I'd do fine with Ash. If I can do this, you can do this. We'll text every day and we'll get through this together, I promise. May, I _promise_ you can do this."

She hugged her tight. "You'll be fine, you bush hider."

May hugged her back just as tight, and May let her go, sighing as she ran off.

**

* * *

**

"Drew, go out with me. Sunday."

"You're not supposed to do this on the phone."

"Come on, I'm asking you out," she snapped. "Can't you cut me a little slack?"

"No."

"Drew, my best friend just got on the train to go and find making out happiness with a hot guy. Dawn's got…Dawn has everyone. None of my other friends count enough. Even if it's not a date, I want to go out with you. So…so can you just not be a jerk for once and just go out with me Sunday?"

He sighed. "Sure. Why not? I'll even pay."

She giggled getting up to her tiptoes with glee. "I shouldn't like you as much as I do! You're such a jerk!"

"Hey, we all know who's getting the short end of the stick."

"Drew! I asked you not to be a jerk."

"You asked me not to be a jerk for once. And I was. Once. Never again. See you Sunday."

**

* * *

**

"Dawn said a lot of people make out on trains," Misty said, trying to break the awkward silence. "I think that's a lie."

"It's really public. It'd be embarrassing," he agreed.

She muttered, "Oh, because you're not embarrassing enough? Why didn't you just tell everyone we made out?"

"Why are you so…so _conservative_?"

She gasped. "I taught you that word! You can't use that word against me when I taught you about it!"

"You taught me it so I could use it, and it described you great right now. So we kissed, it's not like we _slept_ together."

"It's wasn't just a kiss. I've kissed people and that was _more_ than a kiss," she argued.

"Well, if you're so embarrassed about it, maybe you should have kept your tongue _in your own mouth_. Then we wouldn't have this problem. But we do, because we kissed. We really kissed." He grinned proudly. "You never got this way because Gary kissed you."

"Gary never kissed me like _that_."

"Like what?"

"Like there was something more than kissing to do," she hissed. "Ash. It was scary! I like to be in control-"

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed."

"And I wasn't in control. I wasn't in my right mind. I wanted to make a bad decision."

"Like robbing a liquor store?" he suggested.

"You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it."

She gritted her teeth. "I wanted to have sex with you."

He beamed. "Me too. This trip's going to be fun!"

**

* * *

**

"You're the boy?" Violet gasped, catching his chin and tilting it up to gawk at him. "Oh, Mew. You're _cute_! Misty didn't say you were _cute_. I never thought she could catch a guy like you. Mew, have you guys seen him? He's _cute_!"

"Yeah, Vi, we saw him. He's very cute," Daisy giggled back.

"Oh, I could _kiss_ you! You're so _cute_!"

"Would you keep away from him?" Misty snapped. "Gees. You're crowding him. Look at how he'd blushing."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to steal him." She winked. "I like you, though. I'd be happy to have you around. Can you act?"

"Violet no!" Misty shouted. "Don't you dare! I don't need your help with this so crawl back into your little romance hole, okay? He can't act and he doesn't want to be in a play!"

He smiled. "I wouldn't mind. I don't have a lot of lines, right?"

"Oh, no! Not at all! In fact, I don't think you have to say anything at all! You just have to fake die!" She squealed. "Will you do it? It'll be fun!"

"Sure, no problem."

"Shake on it," she demanded, holding her hand out. "You're really important even if you don't say anything."

He shook. "I promise I won't back out, okay?"

"Alright. You have to make out with Misty too, no taksies backsides!" she cried, then dropped his hand with yet another squeal.

"Violet! What the hell is _wrong_ with you?"

"Haha! You have to make out with your not-boyfriend!" she shouted back.

"Kissing shouldn't be a punishment!"

"Wouldn't be a punishment for me," Violet agreed, eyeing him over again.

"_Vi_olet!"

**

* * *

**

Their lips touched for just a moment before the boy tugged back, Misty saying her final goodbyes to Ash's fading life.

"No. Nuh-uh. I don't care what you guys are denying or whatever. This is a show. From what I heard you two managed to get together pretty hot. At the very least, you two are friends, right? Ash, kiss her like you'll never see her again. Misty, he's dying. Kiss Ash like he just got hit by a bullet, alright? I want to see passion. Do it again."

Ash sighed and pushed up so Misty could hold his head, which he made limp with near death. Misty forced tears to her eyes by thinking of cute dead things, and whispered, "Please, please don't leave me. I know I haven't been there, I know you haven't been there, but we should get a second chance. We can make the second chance work but you have to_ be_ there for it. Don't leave me. _Please_."

He's dead. He's falling over a cliff, getting shot at, bloody and beaten, turned to stone. You'll never kiss him again. So she kissed him for the last time, eyes closed and lips desperate on his, and he pressed back and flooded her with warmth. She'd gotten the feeling from Gary, but not to the tips of her toes, not warming her from the outside in and back out again. And after he said her goodbye to the dead Ash in her mind, she pulled away and continued her line.

That was all Violet was after.

**

* * *

**

"Ash, I don't think I can do this," she said quickly. "I can't kiss you every day and pretend you're dying to get the right passion. All I can think about is how next year I'll be in the gym and you'll be traveling and so many travelers die and…and…"

He shrugged, tickling Pikachu under her chin. "I'll have Brock. He'll keep me from getting the crap beat out of me. Pikachu too."

"I want to be there," she whispered weakly. "I want to travel with you."

"You'd probably be giving up the League."

"I know, and I'd be really happy, too." She pressed the heel of her hand to her head. "I want to see the world, and I'd be really happy to do it with you and Brock. I've gotten really close to you. I can't…I can't think of anything I'd like more than traveling."

He laughed. "Okay, you can come."

"Ash, I _can't_!"

"Why not?"

"I have all my future stuff to think about," she said. "Going with you would mean that I'd have to give up all the stuff I'm supposed to do so I can be rich and famous and crap."

"Yeah, but I thought you said you wanted to travel _more_ than you want that stuff."

"I do, but-"

"No buts. Just be like me and follow what you know will make you happy."

She rolled her eyes. "Ash, that's so juvenile."

"Yes. It is." He blinked. "What's juvenile mean?"

**

* * *

**

"Mew, that was so stupid."

"You did good, Mist."

"Yeah, but it was stupid. I hate getting up on the stage and having to be a dork in from of people."

"You'd rather be a dork in from of your friends, huh?"

"Stop. You know what I mean. I hate doing this. You had fun though, didn't you?"

"I got to die. You don't get to dramatically die every day. You have to have fun with that."

"I guess. Glad you had fun even if I didn't."

"You looked…you looked really pretty."

"In the dress? Yeah. It's a nice one."

"Yeah, but I was talking about really dramatic stuff. You looked pretty when you were acting. It looked like you meant it."

"I'm supposed to."

"Misty, can we kiss for real? Because I'd really like to kiss you, if you're okay with that."

"Do you want to get married?"

"Now? Mew no!"

"Then…yeah. I'm okay with that."

**

* * *

**

He picked up yet another box, eyeing it over. "I don't think men can have fun with a condom. They all say 'for her pleasure'. What about my pleasure? I have a right to pleasure."

"Ash, please shut up."

"I thought this would be embarrassing, but this is fun. They even have flavored ones and rainbow ones. Why would you need flavored ones, though?"

"Ash, why do you think?"

"Dunno. That's why I asked."

She blushed. "It's for oral, you dope."

"Oral what?" he asked, completely genuine in his confusion.

"What the hell do you _think_?" she shouted.

"But oral means-oh." He froze and blushed. "Oh. Oh right. You just choose a pair."

"Embarrassing now that you remember what they're for, huh?" She snatched a random box and handed it off to her sister. "Here just…just pay for these!"

"Don't complain. I wouldn't have to do this if you two weren't making out up…" She frowned at the box. "Hold up. Ash, what size are you?"

"I don't know. They have sizes?"

The older girl sighed. "Alright, well, we'll get several sizes and you'll wear whichever fits best. You'll have to try them on."

"Are you _sure_ my mom's okay with this?"

"_Please_, she insisted. She said she knows how Ketchum men get carried away. That's how you got here, after all."

He laughed awkwardly. "My mom and Dad having sex. That's what I want to think about when I'm buying condoms with my friend and her sister."

The cashier raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think buying condoms will only encourage them?"

"Doesn't matter. They're all whores since they're form the House of Moltres."

"I can't believe you're the guy my sister's worried about me having sex with," she muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Hey, I might be good in bed. You never know."

She groaned. "This is bad."

"That's not what she said with me last night," Ash chimed.

**

* * *

**

She still thought it was a bad idea, and she still thought they'd get caught, but she didn't really mind that she was flat on her back with Ash's lips glued to her face and his hands glued to her swimsuited body. She was much too concerned about checking Ash for a tentacool burn, which was how the whole incident had gotten started. That aside, Ash was getting much, much better at what he was already pretty good at, and in the back of her mind somewhere a witty part of her made a joke about condoms.

They stopped for a moment, breathing heavily.

"What you said about traveling before," he asked, "Did you mean it?"

She propped herself up on her elbows. "Of course I did. I'd love traveling with you and Brock."

"Even though we're like _this_ now?" he pressed.

"I don't want to suck your face off all the time, and we've been fighting since day one. We know how to apologize. I think I'd be fine traveling with you. And Brock being around will ensure that we…we don't need condoms."

"I think that Brock n' me will have more fun when you're there," he said.

"Well, I love hanging out with you two. And, as much as I like being alone with you, I think I'll have even more fun with Brock there."

"Me too."

"You'll come up with me then, right?"

She grinned. "If I've got to run away I'll do it! Of course I'll go!"

He laughed and covered her lips again, the couple kissing deeply before breaking apart once more. Breathless, she said, "'Sides, I have to keep an eye on you anyway. You still owe me a bike."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed! I only have one regret - I wanted to introduce Melody earlier on, having her selling tickets for the nonexistent school elevator to freshmen. It was the only thing I really didn't want to chop out, but had to in the end. -sigh-

Hugs and Love,

Natty


End file.
